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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. vault — a safe
  4. snap — to click
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. swing — to play on
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. swing — music
  16. drill — army training
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. kick — in football
  19. drill — a practice
  20. bat — the animal
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. drill — the tool
  23. swing — in golf
  24. chip — to eat

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