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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: craft · chip · bay · rest · straw · land · lash · arm

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. rest — a break
  7. chip — for betting
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. rest — what's left
  10. land — ground
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. rest — what's left
  15. land — a country
  16. land — to come down
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. craft — a skill
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. craft — boats
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. chip — to eat

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