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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: present · object · race · coach · fork · snap · rule · trunk

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. race — the arms race
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. object — to protest
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. present — there
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. fork — in a road
  14. present — the time now
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. race — a contest
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. rule — a law
  19. present — a gift
  20. rule — government
  21. race — humankind
  22. snap — to click
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. object — a thing

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