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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. root — of a word
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. saw — the tool
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. saw — the tool
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. chip — for betting
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. chip — to eat
  13. bass — low music
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. root — of a plant
  18. bass — the fish
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. root — the cause
  24. arm — part of the body

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