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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: straw · wound · snap · ruler · face · trunk · fork · bark

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bark — to shout
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. snap — to click
  10. face — to point toward
  11. face — to confront
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. wound — an injury
  17. fork — in a road
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. wound — an injury
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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