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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. firm — steady
  7. fine — all right
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. fork — in a road
  10. chip — to eat
  11. spell — letters
  12. chip — for betting
  13. last — to go on
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rash — a series
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. firm — decided
  20. spell — a short time
  21. last — final
  22. spell — magic
  23. fine — high quality
  24. firm — a company

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