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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: bowl · pit · chip · lash · rest · rash · kid · wind

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. rest — what's left
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. pit — a hole
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. rash — hasty
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. kid — to tease
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — a break
  12. rash — a series
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. chip — for betting
  16. wind — moving air
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. wind — moving air
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. chip — to eat
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. kid — child
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. wind — to turn a key

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