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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: lie · craft · chip · lash · spring · game · safe · tear

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. chip — for betting
  5. spring — a coil
  6. chip — to eat
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. craft — a skill
  9. lie — to recline
  10. spring — the season
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. game — a match
  13. craft — boats
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. tear — to rip
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. spring — of water
  20. tear — from crying
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. tear — from crying
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lash — an eyelash

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