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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. capital — a city
  3. chip — for betting
  4. tear — to rip
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pass — a permit
  8. tear — from crying
  9. cell — in biology
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. capital — money
  14. cell — a phone
  15. chip — to eat
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. tear — from crying
  18. wave — with your hand

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