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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 116 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: tube · spell · kid · fork · lie · can · object · stock

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. tube — the underground
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. object — a thing
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. kid — to tease
  7. lie — to recline
  8. fork — in a road
  9. spell — a short time
  10. stock — goods
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. spell — magic
  13. kid — child
  14. stock — shares
  15. object — an aim
  16. spell — letters
  17. tube — a container
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. can — to be able to
  21. object — to protest
  22. can — a tin
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. can — a tin

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