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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: suit · lie · deal · trunk · race · fork · firm · band

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. firm — steady
  3. band — a music group
  4. race — the arms race
  5. band — a ring
  6. suit — in cards
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. fork — in a road
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. lie — to recline
  17. firm — a company
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. deal — to handle
  20. race — a contest
  21. suit — clothes
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. suit — to fit
  24. race — humankind

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