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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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Word bank
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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: suit · track · arm · scale · chip · tear · tube · lash

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chip — to eat
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. track — to keep track
  5. suit — in cards
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. track — a song
  8. suit — clothes
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. suit — to fit
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. tube — a container
  14. scale — size or range
  15. scale — in music
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tube — the underground
  21. track — a path
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. tear — to rip

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