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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: chip · rest · degree · rock · board · lash · season · arm

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. rock — music
  3. season — of the year
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. degree — from a university
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. degree — temperature
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — what's left
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. chip — to eat
  14. degree — an amount
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. season — in sport
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. board — to get on
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. rest — a break
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. board — a committee
  24. rock — a stone

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