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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. chip — to eat
  3. stand — to bear
  4. file — a tool
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. saw — the tool
  8. chip — for betting
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bass — low music
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. file — a line of people
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. file — a document
  21. present — the time now
  22. present — there
  23. bass — the fish
  24. present — a gift

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