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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: trunk · fork · sharp · saw · mark · arm · fall · cap

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. cap — of ice
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. saw — the tool
  5. fall — to drop
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. fall — the season
  10. cap — a hat
  11. saw — the tool
  12. mark — a trace
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. cap — a lid
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. sharp — clever
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. fork — in a road
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. fall — to drop
  24. arm — a part of something

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