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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. squash — the sport
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. chip — to eat
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. current — of water
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. chip — for betting
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. kid — to tease
  16. current — happening now
  17. bark — to shout
  18. current — electric
  19. plane — a tool
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. kid — child
  22. squash — to crush
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. plane — in geometry

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