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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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Word bank
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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. current — of water
  7. chip — to eat
  8. sharp — clever
  9. season — in sport
  10. current — electric
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. kick — in football
  14. hand — in cards
  15. stand — to bear
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. hand — help
  19. current — happening now
  20. season — of the year
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. chip — for betting

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