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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: dip · kid · rest · lean · bass · trunk · rock · fork

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. kid — to tease
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. lean — to bend
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. fork — in a road
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. lean — thin
  16. dip — to sink
  17. rest — a break
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rock — a stone
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. rock — music
  23. bass — low music
  24. kid — child

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