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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: trunk · bat · spring · nail · chip · fork · safe · chair

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. fork — in a road
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. spring — of water
  13. spring — the season
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. spring — a coil
  16. chip — to eat
  17. bat — the animal
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. chair — a leader
  23. chip — for betting
  24. trunk — of a tree

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