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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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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 · mine · bear · lash · bay · key · temple · kid

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. chip — for betting
  7. chip — to eat
  8. bear — the animal
  9. key — the most important part
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. kid — child
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. key — in music
  17. kid — to tease
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. bear — the animal
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. mine — for digging
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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