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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: track · chest · wave · chip · jam · wake · board · lash

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. track — a path
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. chip — for betting
  8. chip — to eat
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. track — a song
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. chest — of your body
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. wake — a trail
  16. board — to get on
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. chest — a box
  21. chest — of your body
  22. track — to keep track
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. board — a committee

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