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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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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 · arm · plane · snap · wake · coach · lie

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. chip — to eat
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. lie — to recline
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. chip — for betting
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. fork — in a road
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. wake — a trail
  22. plane — a tool
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. snap — to click

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