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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. chip — to eat
  3. row — a line
  4. land — to come down
  5. foot — a measure
  6. land — a country
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. chip — for betting
  9. rush — hurry
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. row — to paddle
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. land — ground
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. lash — to lash out

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