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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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Word bank
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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: row · lash · chip · bay · hand · craft · object · mouse

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. craft — boats
  4. object — to protest
  5. craft — a skill
  6. hand — in cards
  7. chip — for betting
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. row — to paddle
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. chip — to eat
  15. row — a line
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. hand — help
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. object — an aim
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. object — a thing
  24. lash — an eyelash

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