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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 · cold · lash · temple · spell · foot · rock · mouse

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  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. cold — the Cold War
  2. spell — a short time
  3. cold — not warm
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. foot — a measure
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. cold — an illness
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. rock — music
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. chip — for betting
  17. chip — to eat
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. spell — letters
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. spell — magic
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. chip — in a computer
  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