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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. ball — a dance
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. ball — a great time
  6. field — for sport
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. drill — a practice
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. chip — for betting
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. field — a subject
  15. field — farmland
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. snap — to click
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. drill — army training
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. drill — the tool
  24. temple — side of the head

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