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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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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 · fall · staff · tube · saw · object · ball · land

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. object — an aim
  3. staff — a stick
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. saw — the tool
  6. staff — employees
  7. tube — the underground
  8. staff — employees
  9. object — a thing
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. land — to come down
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. fork — in a road
  14. fall — the season
  15. saw — the tool
  16. ball — a dance
  17. ball — a great time
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. land — a country
  22. fall — to drop
  23. object — to protest
  24. land — ground

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