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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. cap — of ice
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. cap — a hat
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. wound — an injury
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. season — of the year
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. mark — a grade
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. pound — a weight
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. mark — a trace
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. wound — an injury
  22. cap — a lid
  23. chip — to eat
  24. season — in sport

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