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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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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 · trunk · kick · bore · fork · march · race · object

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. object — an aim
  4. object — to protest
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. race — humankind
  7. march — the month
  8. tear — from crying
  9. bore — to tire
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. race — a contest
  13. object — a thing
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. kick — in football
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. march — the month
  19. tear — from crying
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. march — music
  22. race — the arms race
  23. tear — to rip
  24. bore — to drill

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