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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. chip — to eat
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. shower — to wash
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. sharp — clever
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. shower — rain
  17. dip — to sink
  18. plane — a tool
  19. chip — for betting
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. fork — in a road
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. chip — in a computer

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