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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: capital · lash · fork · trunk · bank · pass · fan · board

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. capital — money
  3. bank — for money
  4. board — a committee
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. bank — for money
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. board — to get on
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. bank — of a river
  17. capital — a city
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. pass — a permit
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fork — in a road
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. fan — a supporter

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