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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 120 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: fork · present · chip · mate · game · chest · dip · lash

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. chip — for betting
  3. present — there
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. chest — of your body
  6. mate — a partner
  7. present — the time now
  8. chest — a box
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. mate — a friend
  12. game — a match
  13. fork — in a road
  14. dip — to sink
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chip — to eat
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. mate — to breed
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. game — wild animals
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. present — a gift

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