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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: kick · tube · craft · fork · chest · stand

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. kick — in football
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. fork — in a road
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. craft — a skill
  10. chest — of your body
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. craft — boats
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. tube — a container
  15. stand — to bear
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. tube — the underground
  18. chest — of your body

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