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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. chip — to eat
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. game — a match
  6. track — a path
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. chip — for betting
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. clip — a video
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. root — the cause
  14. clip — to cut
  15. root — of a plant
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. track — to keep track
  18. game — wild animals
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. clip — for paper
  22. root — of a word
  23. track — a song
  24. lash — to lash out

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