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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. band — a ring
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. band — a music group
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. wound — an injury
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. wound — an injury
  10. prune — to trim
  11. chip — to eat
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lean — to bend
  14. kick — in football
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. lean — thin
  17. pound — a weight
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. prune — to trim
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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