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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fork · nail · mine · race · chip · rest · saw · cabinet

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. rest — what's left
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. race — the arms race
  6. saw — the tool
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. fork — in a road
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. rest — what's left
  12. chip — for betting
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. saw — the tool
  15. mine — for digging
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. race — humankind
  19. rest — a break
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. race — a contest

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