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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. pit — a hole
  4. chip — to eat
  5. chip — for betting
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. band — a ring
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. can — to be able to
  11. can — a tin
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wind — moving air
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. band — a music group
  22. can — a tin
  23. pit — in a race
  24. temple — a place of worship

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