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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: roll · club · foot · lash · chip · wound · saw · toast

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. club — a group
  8. roll — a list
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. roll — a cake
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. club — for golf
  13. chip — for betting
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. club — for dancing
  17. wound — an injury
  18. saw — the tool
  19. toast — bread
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. saw — the tool
  23. chip — to eat
  24. foot — a measure

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