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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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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: bass · mate · fork · firm · spring · trunk · kid · temple

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. firm — a company
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. kid — child
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. spring — of water
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. mate — to breed
  14. spring — the season
  15. mate — a friend
  16. fork — in a road
  17. bass — low music
  18. firm — decided
  19. kid — to tease
  20. firm — steady
  21. mate — a partner
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bass — the fish

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