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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. land — ground
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. craft — boats
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. chip — for betting
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. prune — to trim
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. fork — in a road
  12. lean — thin
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. land — a country
  15. land — to come down
  16. craft — a skill
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. prune — to trim
  20. lean — to bend
  21. snap — to click
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. fork — a garden 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