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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 120 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: lie · arm · rest · chip · prune · bulb · last · fork

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. last — finally
  3. rest — what's left
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. fork — in a road
  8. chip — to eat
  9. chip — for betting
  10. bulb — for light
  11. lie — to recline
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. prune — to trim
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. last — to go on
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bulb — for light
  22. prune — to trim
  23. rest — what's left
  24. last — final

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