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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. saw — the tool
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. land — ground
  9. deal — to handle
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. chip — to eat
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. rash — hasty
  16. chip — for betting
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. land — to come down
  20. snap — to click
  21. branch — a division
  22. saw — the tool
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. land — a country

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