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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. field — farmland
  3. staff — employees
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. hand — in cards
  6. staff — employees
  7. bank — for money
  8. hand — help
  9. bank — for money
  10. field — for sport
  11. pit — in a race
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. field — a subject
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. chip — for betting
  19. bank — of a river
  20. staff — a stick
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. pit — a hole

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