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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
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: tube · staff · row · fork · pass · squash · cabinet · fan

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. row — to paddle
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. squash — the sport
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. squash — to crush
  9. pass — a permit
  10. staff — a stick
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. staff — employees
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. staff — employees
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. row — a line
  22. fork — in a road
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. tube — the underground

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