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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: chip · stem · hide · face · bowl · snap · object · lash

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. object — an aim
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. chip — for betting
  7. face — part of the head
  8. object — a thing
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. object — to protest
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. stem — to come from
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. chip — to eat
  17. snap — to click
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. face — to confront
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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