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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. firm — decided
  3. ground — crushed
  4. kid — child
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. firm — a company
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. firm — steady
  9. ground — the earth
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. wake — a trail
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. tube — a container
  15. chip — for betting
  16. kid — to tease
  17. swing — music
  18. swing — in golf
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. ground — a position
  22. chip — to eat
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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