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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: cell · calf · key · chip · lean · kid · fan · lash

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. chip — to eat
  8. cell — a phone
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. key — the most important part
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. key — for a lock
  17. lean — thin
  18. chip — for betting
  19. key — in music
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. kid — to tease
  22. cell — in biology
  23. kid — child
  24. calf — a young animal

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