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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 · tear · arm · ruler · mine · object · track · chip

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. track — a song
  3. object — an aim
  4. track — to keep track
  5. chip — for betting
  6. track — a path
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. object — a thing
  14. tear — from crying
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. tear — to rip
  17. mine — for digging
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. tear — from crying
  21. chip — to eat
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. object — to protest
  24. arm — 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