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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 120 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: craft · tear · tube · object · fork · rush · pit · lie

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. tube — the underground
  3. craft — boats
  4. pit — in a race
  5. craft — a skill
  6. object — an aim
  7. object — to protest
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. pit — a hole
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. tear — from crying
  13. fork — in a road
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. tube — a container
  17. tear — to rip
  18. rush — hurry
  19. lie — to recline
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. tear — from crying
  23. object — a thing
  24. lie — an untruth

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