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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: hide · rock · lash · scale · trunk · land · fork · fan

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. scale — in music
  4. scale — size or range
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. rock — a stone
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. rock — music
  11. fork — in a road
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. land — ground
  16. land — to come down
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. land — a country
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. fork — a garden tool

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