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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: fork · rush · mate · foot · nail · stick · bay · tube

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. mate — a partner
  3. rush — hurry
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. mate — to breed
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. foot — a measure
  11. tube — the underground
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. tube — a container
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. fork — in a road
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. mate — a friend

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