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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 116 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: row · cell · trunk · spring · suit · hand · fork · racket

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. fork — in a road
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. cell — a phone
  6. suit — clothes
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. cell — in biology
  9. row — to paddle
  10. spring — a coil
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. suit — in cards
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. suit — to fit
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. spring — the season
  17. hand — help
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. row — a line
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. spring — of water
  24. racket — for tennis

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