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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. wake — a trail
  3. squash — the sport
  4. staff — a stick
  5. staff — employees
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. squash — to crush
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. mark — a trace
  11. chip — for betting
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — to recline
  17. drill — army training
  18. mark — a grade
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. staff — employees
  21. drill — the tool
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. fork — in a road
  24. drill — a practice

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