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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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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: nail · wake · plane · mine · pound · chip · lash · squash

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. plane — a tool
  3. squash — the sport
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. squash — to crush
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. pound — a weight
  16. chip — for betting
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. wake — a trail
  23. mine — for digging
  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