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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: bound · mate · hand · wake · fork · trunk · plane · court

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. mate — to breed
  3. court — for sport
  4. bound — tied together
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. court — of law
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. court — of a king
  11. hand — in cards
  12. wake — a trail
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. hand — help
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mate — a friend
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. bound — obliged
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. fork — in a road
  24. bound — certain

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