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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: trunk · staff · pop · fork · rule · cabinet · wound · rock

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. fork — in a road
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. rule — a law
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. rule — government
  11. staff — a stick
  12. staff — employees
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. wound — an injury
  15. pop — soda
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. wound — an injury
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. pop — music
  20. staff — employees
  21. rock — music
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. rock — a stone
  24. trunk — of a tree

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