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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 120 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: fork · straw · plane · racket · lie · mine · trunk · key

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  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. key — in music
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. mine — for digging
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — to recline
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. key — for a lock
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. key — the most important part
  18. plane — a tool
  19. fork — in a road
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — for tennis
  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