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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 · hide · fan · kid · pit · tube · fork · rest

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. pit — a hole
  4. kid — child
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. rest — what's left
  7. pit — in a race
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. kid — to tease
  11. rest — a break
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. sharp — clever
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. rest — what's left
  19. tube — a container
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fork — in a road

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