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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: fan · tube · stem · fork · shower · lash · stick · chest

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. chest — a box
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. shower — to wash
  9. stem — to come from
  10. chest — of your body
  11. tube — a container
  12. shower — rain
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. tube — the underground
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. chest — of your body
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. fork — a garden tool

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