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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. saw — the tool
  5. mine — for digging
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. row — to paddle
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. saw — the tool
  10. chip — for betting
  11. object — to protest
  12. chip — to eat
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. row — a line
  20. object — a thing
  21. object — an aim
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. mine — an explosive

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