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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: racket · lash · can · chair · mine · dip · bay · chip

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. chip — to eat
  5. chip — for betting
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. can — a tin
  9. mine — for digging
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. can — a tin
  14. dip — to sink
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. can — to be able to
  23. chair — a leader
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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