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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 · rock · tube · cabinet · chip · lash · land · can

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. land — a country
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. dip — to sink
  9. land — to come down
  10. land — ground
  11. tube — the underground
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. can — a tin
  14. chip — to eat
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rock — a stone
  17. can — to be able to
  18. chip — for betting
  19. rock — music
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. can — a tin
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. tube — a container

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