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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: rule · sharp · trunk · drill · mark · fork · coach · calf

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. sharp — clever
  4. rule — a law
  5. fork — in a road
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. mark — a grade
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. drill — a practice
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. rule — government
  23. mark — a trace
  24. drill — army training

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