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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.

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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: wound · file · pit · rest · stick · saw · fork · cue

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. cue — for pool
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. file — a document
  5. file — a line of people
  6. rest — a break
  7. rest — what's left
  8. fork — in a road
  9. pit — a hole
  10. saw — the tool
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. file — a tool
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. cue — a signal
  17. pit — in a race
  18. rest — what's left
  19. cue — a hint
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — an injury
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. saw — the tool
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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