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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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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: staff · object · bay · trunk · fork · net · tear · land

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. land — to come down
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. tear — from crying
  8. net — in sport
  9. object — a thing
  10. land — ground
  11. staff — employees
  12. net — after costs
  13. tear — from crying
  14. net — for catching
  15. tear — to rip
  16. staff — employees
  17. fork — in a road
  18. object — to protest
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. land — a country
  24. object — an aim

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