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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. chip — for betting
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. chip — to eat
  5. rest — a break
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. bear — the animal
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. kid — child
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bear — the animal
  13. staff — employees
  14. bound — certain
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. staff — employees
  20. bound — obliged
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bound — tied together
  24. staff — a stick

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