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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. cue — a signal
  7. stand — to bear
  8. chip — for betting
  9. chip — to eat
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. wound — an injury
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. board — to get on
  18. board — a committee
  19. cue — for pool
  20. wound — an injury
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. cue — a hint
  24. hide — animal skin

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