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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: chip · safe · snap · land · leaves · fork · mark · arm

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. mark — a trace
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. snap — to click
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. fork — in a road
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. chip — to eat
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. mark — a grade
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. land — to come down
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. land — a country
  24. chip — for betting

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