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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.

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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: last · trunk · kick · fork · tear · bound · key · stick

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. key — in music
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. tear — from crying
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. last — finally
  7. tear — from crying
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. kick — in football
  10. key — for a lock
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. last — final
  13. bound — certain
  14. key — the most important part
  15. bound — obliged
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. fork — in a road
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. last — to go on
  21. tear — to rip
  22. bound — tied together
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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