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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. stand — to bear
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. tear — to rip
  7. chip — to eat
  8. vault — a safe
  9. tear — from crying
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. squash — to crush
  13. squash — the sport
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. chip — for betting
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — moving air
  23. arm — part of the body
  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