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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: wake · rash · firm · tube · ground · swing · trunk · fork

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. rash — a series
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. tube — the underground
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. swing — to play on
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. swing — music
  13. tube — a container
  14. ground — a position
  15. ground — the earth
  16. firm — a company
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. swing — in golf
  19. rash — hasty
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. firm — steady
  22. ground — crushed
  23. firm — decided
  24. fork — in a road

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