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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: tear · stick · rule · snap · trunk · fork · rush · charge

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. rush — hurry
  6. snap — to click
  7. charge — in control
  8. charge — electricity
  9. rule — a law
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. tear — from crying
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rule — government
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. charge — a price
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. tear — to rip

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