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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: sharp · file · prune · fork · stick · calf · tube · straw

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. prune — to trim
  3. file — a document
  4. tube — a container
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. tube — the underground
  7. sharp — clever
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. file — a tool
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. file — a line of people
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. fork — in a road
  23. prune — to trim
  24. calf — a young animal

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