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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. craft — boats
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. board — to get on
  7. chip — for betting
  8. board — a committee
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. file — a line of people
  15. mine — for digging
  16. fine — all right
  17. craft — a skill
  18. tube — a container
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. file — a document
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. tube — the underground
  23. file — a tool
  24. fine — high quality

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