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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. wound — an injury
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. row — to paddle
  9. game — wild animals
  10. game — a match
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. club — a group
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. land — ground
  15. row — a line
  16. club — for golf
  17. land — to come down
  18. chip — to eat
  19. chip — for betting
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. wound — an injury
  23. club — for dancing
  24. land — a country

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