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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: rash · plane · bark · chip · present · fork · trunk · craft

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. rash — a series
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. present — there
  6. chip — to eat
  7. plane — a tool
  8. craft — a skill
  9. present — a gift
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. fork — in a road
  12. rash — hasty
  13. craft — boats
  14. chip — for betting
  15. bark — to shout
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. present — the time now
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. rash — on the 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