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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: last · bay · cap · lash · squash · nail · chip · chair

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. cap — a lid
  3. last — finally
  4. last — final
  5. chair — a leader
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. cap — of ice
  8. chip — for betting
  9. squash — the sport
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. squash — to crush
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. cap — a hat
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. chip — to eat
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. last — to go on
  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