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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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468
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: saw · fine · chip · rash · stem · racket · board · lash

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. rash — a series
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. stem — to come from
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. board — a committee
  10. board — to get on
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. fine — all right
  13. saw — the tool
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. saw — the tool
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. chip — to eat
  21. rash — hasty
  22. chip — for betting
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. stem — of a plant

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