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

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. cap — a lid
  3. chest — a box
  4. chip — to eat
  5. chip — for betting
  6. deal — to handle
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. chest — of your body
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. chest — of your body
  12. cap — a hat
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. dip — to sink
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. cap — of ice
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. wave — of the sea

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