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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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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: net · cap · rule · deal · spell · chip · arm · lash

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. net — in sport
  5. cap — of ice
  6. spell — a short time
  7. net — after costs
  8. chip — for betting
  9. spell — letters
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. rule — a law
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. net — for catching
  15. cap — a hat
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. deal — to handle
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. cap — a lid
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. rule — government
  24. spell — magic

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