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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. last — finally
  3. press — to push
  4. plane — a tool
  5. last — to go on
  6. last — final
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. fork — in a road
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. wax — to grow
  16. press — newspapers
  17. press — a publisher
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. chip — for betting
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. chip — to eat

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