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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: fork · trunk · spell · object · tube · club · shower · saw

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. saw — the tool
  3. object — a thing
  4. fork — in a road
  5. club — for dancing
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. spell — magic
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. tube — a container
  11. shower — rain
  12. club — a group
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. saw — the tool
  15. tube — the underground
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. club — for golf
  20. spell — letters
  21. shower — to wash
  22. object — an aim
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. object — to protest

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