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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. deal — to handle
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. file — a document
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. chip — to eat
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. charge — a price
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. sharp — clever
  17. chip — for betting
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. charge — electricity
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. charge — in control
  22. file — a line of people
  23. file — a tool
  24. arm — a part of something

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