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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 · suit · lash · leaves · arm · fork · field · rest

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. suit — in cards
  4. field — a subject
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. chip — to eat
  9. chip — for betting
  10. field — for sport
  11. fork — in a road
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. suit — clothes
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. field — farmland
  17. rest — what's left
  18. suit — to fit
  19. rest — what's left
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. fork — a garden tool

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