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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · ground · race · tube · staff · fan · lash · mug

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. staff — employees
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. mug — a cup
  6. staff — employees
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. ground — the earth
  9. tube — a container
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. ground — crushed
  12. staff — a stick
  13. ground — a position
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. race — humankind
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fork — in a road
  19. mug — to rob
  20. race — a contest
  21. mug — a face
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. tube — the underground
  24. race — the arms race

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