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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.

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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: tear · march · fork · cue · root · plane · trunk · drill

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. plane — a tool
  3. march — the month
  4. march — music
  5. root — of a plant
  6. root — the cause
  7. tear — from crying
  8. drill — army training
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. cue — a hint
  11. march — the month
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. drill — the tool
  14. cue — a signal
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. root — of a word
  17. tear — to rip
  18. cue — for pool
  19. drill — a practice
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. tear — from crying
  24. trunk — of a car

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