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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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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: lash · court · wound · chip · nail · pound · dip · wake

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. chip — to eat
  5. wake — a trail
  6. court — of a king
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. chip — for betting
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. wound — an injury
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. court — for sport
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. court — of law
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. pound — a weight
  22. dip — to sink
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. lash — to lash out

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