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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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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: root · nail · chip · lash · snap · kid · saw · temple

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. chip — to eat
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. saw — the tool
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. snap — to click
  11. root — of a plant
  12. kid — child
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. saw — the tool
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. chip — for betting
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. root — the cause
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. root — of a word

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