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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: saw · mark · dip · fork · straw · field · wave · trunk

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. dip — to sink
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. saw — the tool
  7. mark — a trace
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. field — farmland
  10. field — a subject
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. fork — in a road
  14. saw — the tool
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. field — for sport
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. mark — a grade
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. straw — dry grass

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