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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 120 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: fork · cue · lie · file · trunk · wind · stick · track

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. file — a line of people
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. file — a document
  6. track — to keep track
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. file — a tool
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. cue — a hint
  11. fork — in a road
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. track — a path
  14. wind — moving air
  15. lie — to recline
  16. wind — moving air
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. cue — for pool
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. track — a song
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. cue — a signal
  24. wind — to turn a key

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