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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 120 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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. mug — a cup
  3. hand — help
  4. mug — a face
  5. hand — in cards
  6. chip — to eat
  7. cold — not warm
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. pop — music
  11. vault — a safe
  12. pop — soda
  13. chip — for betting
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. key — for a lock
  16. cold — an illness
  17. mug — to rob
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. key — the most important part
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. key — in music
  23. pop — to visit
  24. hide — animal skin

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