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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  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. present — the time now
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chip — to eat
  7. last — to go on
  8. last — final
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. kid — to tease
  11. last — finally
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. chest — a box
  15. present — there
  16. wax — to grow
  17. chip — for betting
  18. present — a gift
  19. chest — of your body
  20. kid — child
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  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