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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mate · wave · trunk · sharp · fork · fine · bark · content

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. content — the amount
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. mate — a friend
  8. fork — in a road
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. mate — to breed
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. fine — high quality
  13. bark — to shout
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. mate — a partner
  19. fine — all right
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. sharp — clever

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com