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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: lean · craft · fork · cabinet · lash · jam · pit · tube

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. tube — a container
  4. lean — to bend
  5. tube — the underground
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. lean — thin
  8. craft — a skill
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. craft — boats
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. fork — in a road
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. pit — a hole
  19. pit — in a race
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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