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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. chip — to eat
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. degree — temperature
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. degree — from a university
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. row — a line
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. degree — an amount
  19. chip — for betting
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lean — thin
  23. row — to paddle
  24. mine — for digging

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