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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. kick — in football
  5. craft — boats
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. kid — to tease
  8. chip — for betting
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. ground — crushed
  12. kid — child
  13. chip — to eat
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. craft — a skill
  19. ground — the earth
  20. wind — moving air
  21. present — the time now
  22. present — there
  23. wind — moving air
  24. present — a gift

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