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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 116 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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. pop — to visit
  3. chip — for betting
  4. suit — to fit
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. lean — thin
  10. suit — in cards
  11. cold — not warm
  12. pop — music
  13. suit — clothes
  14. chair — a leader
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. pop — soda
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. cold — an illness
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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