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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. stem — to come from
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. shower — to wash
  5. chip — to eat
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. craft — boats
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. shower — rain
  13. chip — for betting
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. craft — a skill
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. kick — in football
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. fork — in a road
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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