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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: sharp · stick · coach · trunk · file · pitcher · fork · tear

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. file — a tool
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. sharp — clever
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. tear — to rip
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. tear — from crying
  16. fork — in a road
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. tear — from crying
  19. file — a line of people
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. file — a document
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. trunk — of a tree

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