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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: tear · lash · chip · bat · cabinet · pitcher · nail · track

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. tear — from crying
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. track — a path
  11. track — to keep track
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. chip — for betting
  15. tear — to rip
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. chip — to eat
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. track — a song
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. tear — from crying

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