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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 · wake · fan · tube · fork · straw · toast · present

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. present — a gift
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. tube — the underground
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. tube — a container
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. present — the time now
  20. toast — bread
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. present — there
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. fork — in a road

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