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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. rush — hurry
  5. file — a tool
  6. file — a document
  7. fork — in a road
  8. present — the time now
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. march — the month
  11. present — there
  12. march — music
  13. march — the month
  14. file — a line of people
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. object — to protest
  21. object — a thing
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. present — a gift
  24. object — an aim

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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