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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: chip · present · cap · pop · calf · spring · lash · ground

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. pop — to visit
  5. spring — a coil
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. cap — a lid
  8. chip — to eat
  9. ground — crushed
  10. cap — of ice
  11. ground — a position
  12. ground — the earth
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. cap — a hat
  15. present — the time now
  16. pop — soda
  17. spring — the season
  18. chip — for betting
  19. present — a gift
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. present — there
  23. pop — music
  24. spring — of water

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