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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. tube — the underground
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. face — part of the head
  5. face — to point toward
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — an injury
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. chip — for betting
  10. pit — in a race
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. pit — a hole
  13. tube — a container
  14. row — to paddle
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. chip — to eat
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. face — to confront
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. row — a line
  23. ball — a dance
  24. ball — a great time

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