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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.

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: fork · trunk · file · leaves · object · drill · board · degree

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. fork — in a road
  3. board — to get on
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. drill — the tool
  7. drill — army training
  8. file — a tool
  9. board — a committee
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. object — an aim
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. degree — temperature
  16. object — to protest
  17. degree — from a university
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. degree — an amount
  20. object — a thing
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. file — a line of people
  24. file — a document

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