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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lash · pound · tear · chip · mark · cue

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. tear — from crying
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. pound — a weight
  5. cue — a signal
  6. mark — a trace
  7. tear — to rip
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. chip — to eat
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. cue — a hint
  12. cue — for pool
  13. mark — a grade
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. tear — from crying
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. chip — for betting
  18. lash — a whip stroke

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