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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. chip — for betting
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. drill — army training
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. drill — a practice
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. land — ground
  13. drill — the tool
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — a container
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. land — a country
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. chip — to eat
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. land — to come down

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