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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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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: rest · hide · spell · chip · craft · land · last · lash

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. land — to come down
  3. chip — to eat
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. last — final
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. last — to go on
  8. spell — a short time
  9. spell — magic
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. last — finally
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. craft — boats
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. rest — a break
  17. land — ground
  18. craft — a skill
  19. chip — for betting
  20. spell — letters
  21. rest — what's left
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. land — a country

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