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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. pass — a permit
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. chip — to eat
  7. wind — moving air
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. kid — to tease
  11. row — a line
  12. chip — for betting
  13. band — a ring
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. kick — in football
  16. wind — moving air
  17. band — a music group
  18. row — to paddle
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. perch — the fish
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. kid — child

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