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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 116 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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. vault — a safe
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. pound — a weight
  6. pop — to visit
  7. tear — from crying
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. squash — the sport
  11. wind — moving air
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. tear — from crying
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. squash — to crush
  17. wind — moving air
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. pop — music
  21. tear — to rip
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. pop — soda

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