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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: plane · craft · chip · object · patient · fork · lie · season

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. season — in sport
  4. object — to protest
  5. craft — boats
  6. fork — in a road
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. plane — a tool
  10. object — an aim
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. lie — to recline
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. object — a thing
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. chip — to eat
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. season — of the year
  23. craft — a skill
  24. craft — a handicraft

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