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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: kick · bank · object · date · snap · chip · lash · saw

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. chip — for betting
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. object — a thing
  11. bank — of a river
  12. kick — in football
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. bank — for money
  15. snap — to click
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. object — to protest
  20. date — the fruit
  21. bank — for money
  22. chip — to eat
  23. saw — the tool
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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