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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 116 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: cue · face · sharp · rule · object · fork · trunk · bay

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. face — to confront
  4. object — to protest
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. face — part of the head
  7. rule — government
  8. face — to point toward
  9. rule — a law
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. cue — a signal
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. fork — in a road
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. object — a thing
  18. sharp — clever
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cue — for pool
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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