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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. chip — to eat
  4. board — to get on
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. mine — for digging
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. board — a committee
  19. chip — for betting
  20. branch — a division
  21. lie — to recline
  22. wax — to grow
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. mine — belonging to me

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