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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fork · chip · trunk · spell · spring · object · stem · straw

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. object — a thing
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. spring — a coil
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. chip — to eat
  8. stem — to come from
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. spring — the season
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. chip — for betting
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. object — an aim
  16. object — to protest
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. spell — letters
  19. spring — of water
  20. spell — magic
  21. fork — in a road
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. spell — a short time

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