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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: cell · wound · lash · chip · suit · shower · prune · pound

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. wound — an injury
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. chip — to eat
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. shower — rain
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. shower — to wash
  12. suit — to fit
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. prune — to trim
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. cell — in biology
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. prune — to trim
  19. suit — in cards
  20. pound — a weight
  21. chip — for betting
  22. suit — clothes
  23. cell — a phone
  24. prune — the fruit

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