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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: tube · deal · mouse · row · fork · shower · sharp · rash

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  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. rash — a series
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. row — to paddle
  6. sharp — clever
  7. shower — to wash
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. tube — a container
  11. deal — to handle
  12. row — a line
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. fork — in a road
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. shower — rain
  19. rash — hasty
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. tube — the underground
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. row — a quarrel
  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