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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: kick · pass · track · fall · tube · file · fork · squash

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. fall — to drop
  3. file — a document
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. squash — to crush
  6. track — to keep track
  7. track — a song
  8. tube — the underground
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. tube — a container
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. fall — the season
  14. file — a tool
  15. pass — a permit
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. fork — in a road
  20. fall — to drop
  21. squash — the sport
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. track — a path
  24. file — a line of people

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