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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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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: squash · trunk · stand · bass · fork · lean · row · file

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. fork — in a road
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. squash — to crush
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. squash — the sport
  8. stand — to bear
  9. lean — to bend
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. file — a tool
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. row — to paddle
  15. lean — thin
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. file — a line of people
  19. bass — the fish
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. bass — low music
  23. file — a document
  24. row — a line

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