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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. saw — the tool
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. chip — to eat
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. sharp — clever
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bear — the animal
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. chip — for betting
  20. scale — in music
  21. saw — the tool
  22. scale — size or range
  23. bear — the animal
  24. coach — a trainer

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