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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. chest — a box
  3. craft — boats
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. rock — a stone
  7. chip — to eat
  8. fork — in a road
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bark — to shout
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. chip — for betting
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — of your body
  21. fall — the season
  22. craft — a skill
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. rock — music

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