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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: mate · chip · dip · stick · row · lash · mark · land

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. mate — a friend
  3. row — to paddle
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. dip — to sink
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. chip — to eat
  9. mate — a partner
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. row — a line
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mark — a grade
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. land — to come down
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. land — ground
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. chip — for betting
  23. mark — a trace
  24. lash — to lash out

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