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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 116 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: bay · lean · bass · bark · tube · kid · trunk · fork

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. lean — thin
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. bark — to shout
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. tube — a container
  13. bass — low music
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. tube — the underground
  18. kid — to tease
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. fork — in a road
  21. kid — child
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. lean — to bend
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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