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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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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: face · pitcher · trunk · prune · deal · kick · fork · file

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. face — to confront
  4. face — to point toward
  5. file — a document
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. file — a tool
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. file — a line of people
  10. prune — to trim
  11. face — part of the head
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. deal — to handle
  19. kick — in football
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. prune — to trim
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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