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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: field · lash · mate · rush · coach · chip · kid · game

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. game — a match
  5. chip — for betting
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. kid — to tease
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. kid — child
  10. rush — hurry
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. field — a subject
  14. field — farmland
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mate — a partner
  18. game — wild animals
  19. chip — to eat
  20. field — for sport
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. mate — to breed

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