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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. saw — the tool
  5. hand — help
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. firm — steady
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. firm — a company
  10. chip — for betting
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. saw — the tool
  13. kick — in football
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. date — the fruit
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. game — wild animals
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. firm — decided
  21. hand — in cards
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. chip — to eat
  24. game — a match

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