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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: ball · fan · tube · saw · chip · foot · spell · lash

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. spell — a short time
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. tube — a container
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. ball — a dance
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. spell — magic
  13. ball — a great time
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. saw — the tool
  16. spell — letters
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. foot — a measure
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. chip — for betting
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. tube — the underground
  24. lash — an eyelash

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