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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 116 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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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: bowl · mine · face · lash · chip · pound · drill · wake

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. drill — a practice
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. face — to point toward
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. drill — the tool
  11. wake — a trail
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mine — for digging
  14. pound — a weight
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. drill — army training
  17. face — to confront
  18. chip — for betting
  19. chip — to eat
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. face — part of the head
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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