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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: chip · kick · drill · lash · suit · present · chair · bass

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. chip — for betting
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. bass — the fish
  5. present — a gift
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. chair — a leader
  8. chip — to eat
  9. suit — clothes
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. drill — army training
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bass — low music
  14. present — there
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. drill — a practice
  20. drill — the tool
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. suit — to fit
  23. present — the time now
  24. kick — in football

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