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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: fork · staff · rush · pit · straw · tube · lean · cold

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. cold — an illness
  3. staff — employees
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. lean — to bend
  11. staff — employees
  12. lean — thin
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. staff — a stick
  17. pit — a hole
  18. cold — not warm
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tube — a container
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. pit — in a race
  24. rush — 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