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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: fan · rock · game · wind · lash · chip · mouse · safe

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. game — wild animals
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. wind — moving air
  9. game — a match
  10. rock — a stone
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. wind — moving air
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. rock — music
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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