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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 · object · wave · rule · fan · stick · chip · straw

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. object — a thing
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. chip — to eat
  15. rule — government
  16. rule — a law
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. object — an aim
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. chip — for betting
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. object — to protest
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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