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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: sharp · dip · mark · land · chip · arm · trunk · craft

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. dip — to sink
  6. land — ground
  7. land — to come down
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. craft — a skill
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. craft — boats
  14. mark — a grade
  15. sharp — clever
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. land — a country
  21. chip — for betting
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. mark — a trace
  24. dip — to dunk

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