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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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 · chip · mug · mark · tube · hide · saw · hand

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mug — to rob
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. chip — to eat
  6. hand — help
  7. fork — in a road
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mug — a face
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. saw — the tool
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. tube — the underground
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. mark — a grade
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. chip — for betting
  23. tube — a container
  24. mug — a cup

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