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

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. suit — in cards
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. cue — for pool
  7. chip — for betting
  8. saw — the tool
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. tear — to rip
  12. tear — from crying
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. suit — clothes
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. tear — from crying
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. cue — a signal
  23. suit — to fit
  24. cue — a hint

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