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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.

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: chip · spring · nail · tear · fan · mine · lash · lean

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — from crying
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. spring — the season
  6. tear — to rip
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mine — for digging
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. lean — thin
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. spring — of water
  18. chip — to eat
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. spring — a coil

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