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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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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: pass · lash · fork · tube · foot · craft · can · cold

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. can — a tin
  4. cold — an illness
  5. craft — a skill
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. fork — in a road
  9. pass — a permit
  10. foot — a measure
  11. tube — a container
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. can — to be able to
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. can — a tin
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. cold — not warm
  22. tube — the underground
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. fork — to eat with

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