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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: rash · lash · craft · kick · chip · straw · club · track

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. chip — to eat
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. club — for dancing
  7. rash — hasty
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. club — a group
  10. craft — boats
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. track — to keep track
  14. chip — for betting
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. track — a path
  17. craft — a skill
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. rash — a series
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. club — for golf
  24. track — a song

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