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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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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: ruler · season · lash · bay · cold · wound · board · chip

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. cold — an illness
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. season — in sport
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. board — a committee
  16. season — of the year
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. wound — an injury
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. wound — an injury
  22. board — to get on
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. cold — not warm

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