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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. rash — hasty
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. firm — steady
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. game — wild animals
  9. stem — to come from
  10. content — the amount
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. firm — decided
  14. rash — a series
  15. chip — for betting
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. game — a match
  19. firm — a company
  20. chip — to eat
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. content — happy
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. kick — in football

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