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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 · face · land · perch · nail · fork · stick · lean

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. lean — to bend
  3. chip — to eat
  4. lean — thin
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. face — to confront
  7. fork — in a road
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. land — a country
  11. perch — the fish
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. land — to come down
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. face — to point toward
  22. face — part of the head
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. land — ground

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