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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: snap · spell · pound · march · stick · fine · chip · lash

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — the month
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. chip — to eat
  7. spell — magic
  8. chip — for betting
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. spell — a short time
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fine — all right
  14. spell — letters
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. pound — a weight
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. snap — to click
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. march — music

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