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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 usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. file — a tool
  3. land — to come down
  4. rule — a law
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. land — a country
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. rule — government
  11. file — a document
  12. craft — boats
  13. rush — hurry
  14. fork — in a road
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. craft — a skill
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. file — a line of people
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. land — ground
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. lash — to lash out

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