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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pitcher · ground · wound · can · hand · chip · lash · staff

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. staff — employees
  4. hand — in cards
  5. can — to be able to
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. chip — for betting
  9. chip — to eat
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. hand — help
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. ground — a position
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. can — a tin
  16. ground — the earth
  17. staff — a stick
  18. can — a tin
  19. ground — crushed
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. wound — an injury
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. staff — employees
  24. pitcher — a jug

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