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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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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: row · chip · press · lash · hand · arm · pit · rock

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. hand — in cards
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. press — a publisher
  5. chip — to eat
  6. rock — music
  7. row — a line
  8. pit — a hole
  9. press — newspapers
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. rock — a stone
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. row — to paddle
  17. press — to push
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. chip — for betting
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. hand — help
  24. hand — part of the body

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