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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. mine — for digging
  4. object — to protest
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. dip — to sink
  8. net — after costs
  9. lean — thin
  10. chip — to eat
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. object — a thing
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. shower — to wash
  18. chip — for betting
  19. lean — to bend
  20. object — an aim
  21. net — for catching
  22. net — in sport
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. shower — rain

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