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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: band · cabinet · fan · fork · trunk · deal · hand · jam

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. hand — in cards
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. band — a music group
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. band — a ring
  15. hand — help
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. deal — to handle
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. fork — in a road
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. fan — a supporter

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