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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: trunk · swing · chair · bear · fork · deal · present · fall

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. fall — the season
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. deal — to handle
  8. swing — to play on
  9. fall — to drop
  10. swing — music
  11. present — the time now
  12. fall — to drop
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. swing — in golf
  17. bear — the animal
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. chair — a leader
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. present — a gift
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. fork — in a road

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