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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. file — a line of people
  3. file — a tool
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. tear — to rip
  10. tear — from crying
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. tear — from crying
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. chair — a leader
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. chip — for betting
  17. file — a document
  18. chip — to eat

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