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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 looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  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. wound — an injury
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. file — a document
  4. chip — to eat
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. foot — a measure
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. current — of water
  10. file — a tool
  11. land — a country
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. file — a line of people
  14. land — to come down
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. current — happening now
  17. land — ground
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. wound — an injury
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. current — electric
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. foot — the bottom
  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