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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 116 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: leaves · wound · net · fork · chip · squash · snap · fine

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. squash — to crush
  3. squash — the sport
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. fork — in a road
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. net — in sport
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. fine — high quality
  13. snap — to click
  14. wound — an injury
  15. net — after costs
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. wound — an injury
  20. net — for catching
  21. chip — to eat
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. chip — for betting
  24. fine — all right

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