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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: key · bat · roll · rush · chip · fork · tube · lash

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. key — in music
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. bat — the animal
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. chip — to eat
  10. tube — a container
  11. roll — a list
  12. fork — in a road
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. rush — hurry
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. key — the most important part
  19. key — for a lock
  20. roll — a cake
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. chip — for betting
  24. fork — a garden tool

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