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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: bass · stick · object · wind · lash · bowl · kid · chip

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. object — a thing
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. object — to protest
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. chip — for betting
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. object — an aim
  15. bass — the fish
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. kid — child
  19. chip — to eat
  20. kid — to tease
  21. bass — low music
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. wind — moving air

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