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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. mate — a partner
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. craft — boats
  10. craft — a skill
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. last — final
  14. mate — a friend
  15. chip — for betting
  16. mate — to breed
  17. fork — in a road
  18. last — to go on
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. chip — to eat
  24. trunk — of a tree

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