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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: leaves · lash · chip · hand · rock · mark · sharp · bound

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. chip — for betting
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. mark — a trace
  8. bound — tied together
  9. sharp — clever
  10. rock — a stone
  11. chip — to eat
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. hand — in cards
  14. bound — obliged
  15. hand — help
  16. mark — a grade
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. bound — certain
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. sharp — with an edge

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