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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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Word bank
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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 · rush · face · lash · pop · cold · mug · foot

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  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. foot — part of the body
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. pop — soda
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. rush — hurry
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. chip — for betting
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. chip — to eat
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. mug — to rob
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. face — to confront
  14. pop — music
  15. face — part of the head
  16. pop — to visit
  17. foot — a measure
  18. mug — a face
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. face — to point toward
  21. cold — an illness
  22. mug — a cup
  23. cold — not warm
  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