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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  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. lash — a whip stroke
  2. suit — to fit
  3. tear — to rip
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. mate — a friend
  6. chip — to eat
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. charge — electricity
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. mate — a partner
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. charge — a price
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. suit — in cards
  17. tear — from crying
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. suit — clothes
  20. tear — from crying
  21. charge — in control
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. mate — to breed
  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