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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 120 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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. dip — to sink
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. rest — a break
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. fork — in a road
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. foot — a measure
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. chip — to eat
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. rest — what's left
  22. chip — for betting
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. mouse — the animal

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