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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: firm · deal · wind · trunk · fork · stick · suit · row

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  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. firm — steady
  2. suit — to fit
  3. fork — in a road
  4. wind — moving air
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. wind — moving air
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. firm — decided
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. deal — to handle
  13. suit — in cards
  14. suit — clothes
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. firm — a company
  23. row — to paddle
  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