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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
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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: file · fork · tube · mate · fan · arm · straw · ball

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. file — a line of people
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. fork — in a road
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. mate — a partner
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. ball — a great time
  10. mate — a friend
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. file — a document
  13. mate — to breed
  14. tube — the underground
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. tube — a container
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. file — a tool
  23. ball — a dance
  24. arm — part of the body

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