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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: fork · date · chip · cap · trunk · hand · lash · foot

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. date — the fruit
  3. hand — in cards
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. hand — help
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. fork — in a road
  13. cap — a hat
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. chip — to eat
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. cap — a lid
  21. cap — of ice
  22. foot — a measure
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. fork — to eat with

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