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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mug · plane · chest · degree · bark · lash · swing · chip

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. degree — temperature
  5. mug — to rob
  6. chip — to eat
  7. chip — for betting
  8. plane — a tool
  9. mug — a face
  10. swing — music
  11. mug — a cup
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. chest — a box
  15. bark — to shout
  16. degree — an amount
  17. degree — from a university
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. swing — in golf
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. chest — of your body
  23. swing — to play on
  24. chest — of your body

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