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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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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: trunk · dip · sharp · wind · net · board · fork · firm

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. dip — to sink
  6. net — in sport
  7. net — for catching
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. firm — decided
  10. board — to get on
  11. firm — a company
  12. fork — in a road
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. sharp — clever
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. firm — steady
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. wind — moving air
  22. net — after costs
  23. board — a committee
  24. sharp — exactly

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