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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: bowl · lash · chip · last · fork · wake · object · game

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  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. object — an aim
  2. object — to protest
  3. last — finally
  4. chip — for betting
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. game — wild animals
  8. fork — in a road
  9. wake — a trail
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. last — to go on
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. game — a match
  21. object — a thing
  22. chip — to eat
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  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