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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: snap · cell · fan · can · race · chip · rest · fork

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. cell — a phone
  4. cell — in biology
  5. rest — what's left
  6. fork — in a road
  7. rest — what's left
  8. chip — to eat
  9. rest — a break
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. race — humankind
  12. can — a tin
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. can — to be able to
  15. race — the arms race
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. chip — for betting
  19. snap — to click
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. race — a contest
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. can — a tin

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