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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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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: object · dip · rash · last · season · deal · fork · tube

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. last — to go on
  3. object — to protest
  4. fork — in a road
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. rash — a series
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. last — finally
  10. season — in sport
  11. last — final
  12. object — a thing
  13. tube — a container
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. season — of the year
  16. deal — to handle
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. rash — hasty
  20. tube — the underground
  21. object — an aim
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. dip — to sink

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