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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. shower — to wash
  5. saw — the tool
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rule — a law
  9. rule — government
  10. chest — a box
  11. chair — a leader
  12. chest — of your body
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. chip — to eat
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. chest — of your body
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. shower — rain
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. saw — the tool
  24. chair — a professorship

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