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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: toast · straw · fork · key · pit · stand · file · shower

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. pit — a hole
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. shower — to wash
  8. pit — in a race
  9. file — a line of people
  10. toast — bread
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stand — to bear
  13. key — the most important part
  14. key — in music
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. file — a document
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. file — a tool
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. key — for a lock
  24. shower — rain

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