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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: lash · pound · can · saw · racket · chip · clip · bowl

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. saw — the tool
  4. can — a tin
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. pound — a weight
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. chip — to eat
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. clip — a video
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. chip — for betting
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. clip — to cut
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. can — to be able to
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. clip — for paper
  24. saw — the tool

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