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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: ground · saw · file · bore · trunk · kid · bulb · fork

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. file — a tool
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bore — to drill
  7. fork — in a road
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bore — to tire
  10. ground — a position
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. kid — child
  13. kid — to tease
  14. bulb — for light
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. file — a line of people
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. saw — the tool
  19. ground — crushed
  20. ground — the earth
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. file — a document

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