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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 120 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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. staff — employees
  4. chip — to eat
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. lean — thin
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. kick — in football
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. lean — to bend
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. chip — for betting
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. staff — employees

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