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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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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: tear · present · bark · bowl · leaves · ruler · fork · trunk

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. present — there
  3. present — the time now
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. fork — in a road
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. tear — from crying
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. present — a gift
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. tear — to rip
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. bark — to shout
  24. ruler — for measuring

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