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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: cell · bay · deal · fork · rock · trunk · kick · sharp

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. sharp — clever
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. cell — a phone
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. deal — to handle
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. rock — a stone
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. rock — music
  13. fork — in a road
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. cell — in biology
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. kick — in football
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. deal — an agreement

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