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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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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: lie · stick · nail · trunk · spell · mug · fork · rule

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. spell — magic
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. rule — a law
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. fork — in a road
  8. spell — a short time
  9. rule — government
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. spell — letters
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. mug — a cup
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. mug — to rob
  19. lie — to recline
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. mug — a face

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