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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · lie · saw · chest · tube · current · prune · march

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. current — electric
  3. saw — the tool
  4. chest — of your body
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. chest — of your body
  7. lie — to recline
  8. tube — the underground
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. current — of water
  12. march — music
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. current — happening now
  15. prune — to trim
  16. chest — a box
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. march — the month
  21. tube — a container
  22. march — the month
  23. prune — to trim
  24. saw — the tool

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