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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.

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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: dip · rash · trunk · kid · fan · chip · bear · lash

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. chip — to eat
  4. bear — the animal
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. kid — child
  7. dip — to sink
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. chip — for betting
  10. rash — a series
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. kid — to tease
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. rash — hasty
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. bear — the 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