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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 116 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: stick · march · snap · can · tube · lean · rash · fork

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. can — to be able to
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. snap — to click
  7. lean — thin
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. tube — a container
  14. can — a tin
  15. fork — in a road
  16. can — a tin
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. march — the month
  20. lean — to bend
  21. rash — hasty
  22. march — music
  23. tube — the underground
  24. march — the month

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