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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: lash · race · leaves · chip · fan · land · foot · club

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. club — for dancing
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. chip — to eat
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. land — to come down
  8. race — a contest
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. race — humankind
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. club — for golf
  16. chip — for betting
  17. land — ground
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. foot — a measure
  23. land — a country
  24. club — a group

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