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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: wind · lash · chip · mate · wake · object · rest · stand

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. mate — to breed
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. wind — moving air
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. wind — moving air
  8. mate — a partner
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. chip — to eat
  11. chip — for betting
  12. object — to protest
  13. wake — a trail
  14. stand — to bear
  15. mate — a friend
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. rest — what's left
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. object — a thing
  22. rest — a break
  23. rest — what's left
  24. object — an aim

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