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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: fork · cue · toast · mark · spell · trunk · hide · lie

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. spell — magic
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. mark — a trace
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. cue — a signal
  9. cue — for pool
  10. toast — bread
  11. lie — to recline
  12. spell — letters
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. fork — in a road
  15. spell — a short time
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. mark — a grade
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. hide — animal skin

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