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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: lash · rest · cell · staff · mark · pitcher · cap · chip

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. mark — a trace
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. staff — employees
  7. rest — what's left
  8. mark — a grade
  9. staff — a stick
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. rest — what's left
  12. staff — employees
  13. cap — a hat
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cell — a phone
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. rest — a break
  19. chip — to eat
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. cell — in biology
  22. chip — for betting
  23. cap — of ice
  24. mark — to pay attention

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