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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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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: tube · lash · roll · ruler · stick · date · fork · bear

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  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. bear — the animal
  2. tube — a container
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. roll — a list
  6. tube — the underground
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. roll — a cake
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — the fruit
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. fork — in a road
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bear — the animal
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. fork — a garden tool
  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