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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. chip — to eat
  3. object — a thing
  4. spring — a coil
  5. chest — of your body
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. spring — of water
  9. swing — in golf
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. spring — the season
  12. object — an aim
  13. chip — for betting
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. swing — music
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. swing — to play on
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. chest — of your body
  22. plane — a tool
  23. chest — a box
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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