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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 120 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: cell · deal · prune · chip · lash · hand · last · pit

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. cell — in biology
  4. cell — a phone
  5. last — to go on
  6. chip — for betting
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. prune — to trim
  11. last — finally
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. last — final
  14. prune — to trim
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. pit — in a race
  18. deal — to handle
  19. chip — to eat
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. hand — help
  24. pit — a hole

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