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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: cell · tube · file · fork · rest · object

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. cell — a phone
  4. file — a line of people
  5. object — an aim
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — what's left
  9. fork — in a road
  10. file — a tool
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. tube — the underground
  13. object — to protest
  14. tube — a container
  15. cell — in biology
  16. rest — a break
  17. object — a thing
  18. cell — in a prison

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