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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 120 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: cold · lash · firm · rest · fork · rock · tube · foot

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — a container
  7. rest — what's left
  8. foot — a measure
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. rock — music
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. firm — a company
  15. rest — what's left
  16. fork — in a road
  17. rock — a stone
  18. cold — not warm
  19. firm — steady
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. firm — decided
  23. rest — a break
  24. foot — 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