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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chip — to eat
  3. root — of a plant
  4. rash — hasty
  5. ground — the earth
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. ground — a position
  8. tear — to rip
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. spell — magic
  12. ground — crushed
  13. spell — letters
  14. snap — to click
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. root — of a word
  17. spell — a short time
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. rash — a series
  20. root — the cause
  21. tear — from crying
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. tear — from crying

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