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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: lash · chip · band · pit · calf · wax · deal · tear

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. chip — to eat
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. tear — from crying
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. deal — to handle
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pit — a hole
  15. band — a ring
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. tear — from crying
  19. wax — to grow
  20. band — a music group
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. tear — to rip
  23. chip — for betting
  24. deal — a big deal

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