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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 116 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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. chip — for betting
  3. ball — a great time
  4. mark — a grade
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — to eat
  8. rash — a series
  9. tube — the underground
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. mark — a trace
  12. perch — the fish
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. fall — the season
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ball — a dance
  17. rash — hasty
  18. fall — to drop
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. tube — a container
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. fall — to drop

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