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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 · jam · bark · rush · cue · fork · lash · band

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. fork — in a road
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. cue — a hint
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. cue — a signal
  15. bark — to shout
  16. rush — hurry
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. cue — for pool
  19. band — a ring
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. band — a music group
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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