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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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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: safe · board · chip · bass · shower · mark · stick · lash

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. chip — to eat
  5. shower — rain
  6. chip — for betting
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. shower — to wash
  11. bass — low music
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. board — a committee
  16. bass — the fish
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. board — to get on
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. mark — a trace
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. mark — a grade
  24. bass — the instrument

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