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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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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: wound · board · perch · fork · rush · prune · mine · stick

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. fork — in a road
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. wound — an injury
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. rush — hurry
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. board — a committee
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. board — to get on
  14. prune — to trim
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. mine — for digging
  20. perch — the fish
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. wound — an injury
  24. prune — to trim

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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