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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: present · tube · spring · craft · straw · fine · squash · fork

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. present — a gift
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. squash — to crush
  5. present — there
  6. spring — of water
  7. present — the time now
  8. tube — a container
  9. squash — the sport
  10. craft — a skill
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. tube — the underground
  13. craft — boats
  14. fine — high quality
  15. spring — a coil
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. fork — in a road
  18. spring — the season
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. fine — all right
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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