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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. spell — a short time
  3. foot — a measure
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. spell — letters
  6. chip — for betting
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. spell — magic
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. chip — to eat
  12. file — a tool
  13. kid — to tease
  14. object — to protest
  15. file — a document
  16. file — a line of people
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. object — a thing
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. object — an aim
  21. kid — child
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. lash — to lash out

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