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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: snap · trunk · fork · drill · press · mate · cold · calf

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. press — newspapers
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. cold — an illness
  7. drill — the tool
  8. press — a publisher
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. mate — to breed
  11. drill — army training
  12. drill — a practice
  13. fork — in a road
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. press — to push
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. mate — a friend
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. snap — to click
  21. cold — not warm
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. mate — a partner
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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