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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. can — to be able to
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. can — a tin
  10. bear — the animal
  11. clip — for paper
  12. wind — moving air
  13. chip — for betting
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. clip — a video
  17. chip — to eat
  18. wind — moving air
  19. can — a tin
  20. clip — to cut
  21. rule — a law
  22. bear — the animal
  23. rule — government
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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