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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: lash · chip · safe · swing · wound · cap · chest · fine

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. swing — to play on
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. wound — an injury
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. wound — an injury
  9. chip — to eat
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. fine — high quality
  12. chip — for betting
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. swing — music
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. chest — of your body
  17. fine — all right
  18. swing — in golf
  19. cap — a lid
  20. chest — of your body
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. cap — a hat
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. cap — of ice

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