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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: dip · net · lash · lie · scale · chip · wave · bore

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. net — after costs
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. bore — to tire
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. scale — in music
  12. net — in sport
  13. chip — to eat
  14. bore — to drill
  15. net — for catching
  16. dip — to sink
  17. scale — size or range
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. chip — for betting
  24. dip — a sauce

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