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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: ground · lash · tear · rock · bank · deal · wound · chip

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. chip — to eat
  3. bank — for money
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. bank — of a river
  7. tear — from crying
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. tear — to rip
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bank — for money
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. rock — a stone
  14. deal — to handle
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. ground — a position
  17. rock — music
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. chip — for betting
  21. ground — the earth
  22. tear — from crying
  23. wound — an injury
  24. lash — to lash out

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