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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. file — a line of people
  3. tube — the underground
  4. file — a tool
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. can — a tin
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. file — a document
  11. kid — child
  12. tube — a container
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. kid — to tease
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. foot — a measure
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. chip — for betting
  22. stem — to come from
  23. can — to be able to
  24. can — a tin

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