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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 120 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 · race · deal · net · rock · perch · hide · lash

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. rock — a stone
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. net — after costs
  10. race — a contest
  11. perch — the fish
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. net — in sport
  14. rock — music
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. chip — for betting
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. net — for catching
  19. race — humankind
  20. chip — to eat
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. race — the arms race
  23. deal — to handle
  24. chip — in a computer

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