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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: trunk · pitcher · shower · tube · firm · lean · wound · fork

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. wound — an injury
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. tube — the underground
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. firm — a company
  13. shower — to wash
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. fork — in a road
  16. wound — an injury
  17. shower — rain
  18. tube — a container
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. lean — thin
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. firm — steady
  23. lean — to bend
  24. lean — to rest against

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