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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. fork — in a road
  4. chip — to eat
  5. hand — help
  6. snap — to click
  7. firm — decided
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. mark — a trace
  11. chip — for betting
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. mark — a grade
  18. hand — in cards
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. firm — steady
  21. dip — to sink
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. firm — a company
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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