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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: cold · prune · kick · lash · foot · deal · bass · chip

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. kick — in football
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. chip — to eat
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. prune — to trim
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. deal — to handle
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. prune — to trim
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. cold — an illness
  19. foot — a measure
  20. bass — the fish
  21. cold — not warm
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. bass — low music
  24. deal — an agreement

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