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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 120 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 · dip · lean · firm · shower · kid · net · lash

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. net — in sport
  3. net — after costs
  4. kid — child
  5. net — for catching
  6. chip — for betting
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. firm — steady
  9. firm — decided
  10. lean — thin
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. dip — to sink
  14. lean — to bend
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. shower — to wash
  17. chip — to eat
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. firm — a company
  22. shower — rain
  23. kid — to tease
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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