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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: bowl · tube · fork · ruler · bay · fall · cabinet · sharp

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. tube — the underground
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. sharp — clever
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. fall — the season
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. fall — to drop
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. fall — to drop
  20. tube — a container
  21. fork — in a road
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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