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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. face — to point toward
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. mate — a friend
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. face — part of the head
  10. row — a line
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. mate — to breed
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. row — to paddle
  15. craft — boats
  16. scale — size or range
  17. face — to confront
  18. chip — for betting
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. craft — a skill
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. mate — a partner
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. scale — in music

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