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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. staff — employees
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. chip — for betting
  6. chip — to eat
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. file — a line of people
  11. season — in sport
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. stem — to come from
  14. staff — employees
  15. pound — a weight
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. dip — to sink
  20. staff — a stick
  21. season — of the year
  22. file — a document
  23. file — a tool
  24. pound — for dogs

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