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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. dip — to sink
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. lie — to recline
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. chip — for betting
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. branch — a division
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. mine — for digging
  24. lie — an untruth

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