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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. chip — to eat
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. cue — a hint
  6. wind — moving air
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. mine — for digging
  10. pass — a permit
  11. cue — a signal
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. cue — for pool
  14. chip — for betting
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. mine — an explosive

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