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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: kid · mug · lie · chip · lash · hide · fork · stem

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. chip — for betting
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. stem — to come from
  8. kid — to tease
  9. mug — to rob
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. chip — to eat
  15. mug — a cup
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lie — to recline
  18. mug — a face
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. kid — child
  24. fork — a garden tool

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