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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: fork · fine · wound · sharp · stem · toast · bay · trunk

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. wound — an injury
  4. fine — all right
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. toast — bread
  8. sharp — clever
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. wound — an injury
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. fork — in a road
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. stem — to come from

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