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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: tear · ball · wound · fine · press · chip · lash · cabinet

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. chip — to eat
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. chip — for betting
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. wound — an injury
  7. tear — to rip
  8. fine — all right
  9. ball — a great time
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. tear — from crying
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ball — a dance
  15. tear — from crying
  16. press — a publisher
  17. wound — an injury
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. press — newspapers
  21. fine — high quality
  22. press — to push
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. chip — in a computer

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