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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: fork · tube · saw · fan · cell · arm · staff · mate

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. staff — a stick
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. tube — a container
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. staff — employees
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. cell — in biology
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mate — a partner
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. cell — a phone
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. saw — the tool
  18. mate — to breed
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. fork — in a road
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. staff — employees
  24. fan — to cool the air

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