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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · row · chip · lash · ball · clip · bore · squash

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. ball — a great time
  3. clip — for paper
  4. bore — to tire
  5. squash — the sport
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. chip — for betting
  8. clip — a video
  9. squash — to crush
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. bore — to drill
  13. row — to paddle
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. ball — a dance
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. clip — to cut
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. row — a line
  24. nail — for a hammer

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