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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 124 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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. toast — bread
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. can — a tin
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. saw — the tool
  8. mate — to breed
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. chip — to eat
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. can — a tin
  14. mate — a partner
  15. mate — a friend
  16. saw — the tool
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. chip — for betting

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