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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.

Make a worksheet

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: shower · object · game · can · fork · wake · stick · trunk

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. fork — in a road
  3. can — a tin
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. object — an aim
  6. game — a match
  7. can — a tin
  8. shower — to wash
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. shower — rain
  11. can — to be able to
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. wake — a trail
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. game — wild animals
  18. object — to protest
  19. object — a thing
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. fork — a garden tool

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