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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: current · fine · fork · trunk · kick · rash · coach · cabinet

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  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. fine — a penalty
  2. kick — in football
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fork — in a road
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. rash — a series
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. fine — all right
  14. current — electric
  15. current — of water
  16. current — happening now
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. rash — hasty
  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