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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: saw · fall · key · last · tube · rash · mate · fork

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. tube — the underground
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. fall — the season
  5. key — in music
  6. saw — the tool
  7. last — finally
  8. rash — a series
  9. fall — to drop
  10. mate — to breed
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rash — hasty
  13. key — the most important part
  14. last — to go on
  15. tube — a container
  16. saw — the tool
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. key — for a lock
  21. mate — a friend
  22. last — final
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fork — in a road

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