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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. chip — to eat
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. chip — for betting
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. rule — a law
  9. shower — rain
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. spell — a short time
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. shower — to wash
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. pass — a permit
  19. rule — government
  20. spell — magic
  21. bat — the animal
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. hide — to keep secret

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