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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: fall · bear · fork · trunk · last · drill · band · fine

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. last — final
  5. last — finally
  6. fall — to drop
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. bear — the animal
  9. drill — a practice
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fine — all right
  12. drill — the tool
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. fine — high quality
  15. band — a music group
  16. fall — the season
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. band — a ring
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. bear — the animal
  22. fall — to drop
  23. last — to go on
  24. drill — army training

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