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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 116 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: chip · lash · kick · pound · cell · suit · pitcher · tear

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. tear — from crying
  3. chip — for betting
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. cell — a phone
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. cell — in biology
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. pound — a weight
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. kick — in football
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. chip — to eat
  14. suit — to fit
  15. tear — from crying
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. suit — clothes
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. tear — to rip
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pound — to hit hard

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