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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. wound — an injury
  4. pound — a weight
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. race — the arms race
  7. race — humankind
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. chip — for betting
  10. season — of the year
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. season — in sport
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. race — a contest
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. pound — to hit hard

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