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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: trunk · rush · rock · kick · fork · band · game · object

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. band — a music group
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. game — a match
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. game — wild animals
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. object — a thing
  18. band — a ring
  19. object — to protest
  20. kick — in football
  21. rock — music
  22. fork — in a road
  23. rush — hurry
  24. fork — to eat with

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