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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: fork · trunk · rush · nail · land · date · fan · season

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. fork — in a road
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. season — of the year
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. land — ground
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. land — a country
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. season — in sport
  21. land — to come down
  22. date — the fruit
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rush — to hurry

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