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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: ball · pitcher · lie · fork · lean · trunk · bore · snap

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. lie — to recline
  4. ball — a dance
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. ball — a great time
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. snap — to click
  10. bore — to tire
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. fork — in a road
  16. bore — to drill
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. lean — thin
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. pitcher — a jug

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