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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 120 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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. chip — to eat
  3. scale — in music
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. current — happening now
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. chip — for betting
  11. scale — size or range
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. swing — to play on
  14. current — of water
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. current — electric
  20. swing — in golf
  21. lean — thin
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. lean — to bend
  24. swing — music

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