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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: wound · kick · sharp · net · fork · tube · deal · stand

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. deal — to handle
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. wound — an injury
  5. kick — in football
  6. fork — in a road
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. sharp — clever
  9. stand — to bear
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. wound — an injury
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. net — after costs
  14. net — for catching
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. tube — a container
  21. tube — the underground
  22. net — in sport
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. kick — a thrill

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