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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 116 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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. chip — to eat
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. plane — a tool
  5. chip — for betting
  6. rash — a series
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. tube — a container
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. tube — the underground
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. fork — in a road
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. lie — to recline
  20. rash — hasty
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. stem — of a plant

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