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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. cue — a signal
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. chip — to eat
  8. cue — a hint
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. last — final
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. sharp — clever
  14. last — to go on
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. can — a tin
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. last — finally
  19. can — to be able to
  20. chip — for betting
  21. can — a tin
  22. cue — for pool
  23. fork — in a road
  24. lash — to lash out

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