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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 116 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: lash · fan · content · wave · chip · lean · present · bat

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. chip — for betting
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. lean — thin
  11. chip — to eat
  12. present — the time now
  13. bat — the animal
  14. lean — to bend
  15. content — the amount
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. content — happy
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. present — there
  20. present — a gift
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. wave — of the sea

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