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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: straw · chip · lash · mine · date · suit · march · plane

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. chip — to eat
  3. mine — for digging
  4. suit — clothes
  5. chip — for betting
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. march — the month
  11. march — music
  12. march — the month
  13. suit — to fit
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. date — the fruit
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. plane — a tool
  24. suit — in cards

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