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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: chip · lean · mouse · last · lash · coach · snap · game

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. chip — to eat
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. snap — to click
  5. game — wild animals
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. last — to go on
  9. last — finally
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. last — final
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. chip — for betting
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. lean — to bend
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. lean — thin
  24. game — a match

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