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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
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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 · land · plane · chip · tear · toast · rush · staff

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. staff — employees
  5. chip — for betting
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. land — to come down
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. plane — a tool
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. chip — to eat
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. staff — employees
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. tear — from crying
  18. rush — hurry
  19. land — a country
  20. staff — a stick
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. land — ground
  23. tear — to rip
  24. toast — bread

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