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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. chip — for betting
  7. chip — to eat
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. shower — to wash
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. shower — rain
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. snap — to click
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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