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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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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: trunk · fork · date · roll · fine · stick · tear · saw

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. fork — in a road
  4. roll — a cake
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. tear — from crying
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. tear — to rip
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. date — the fruit
  15. fine — all right
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. roll — a list
  18. saw — the tool
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. saw — the tool
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. fine — high quality
  23. tear — from crying
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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