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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. chip — to eat
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. chip — for betting
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chest — of your body
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. clip — a video
  12. chest — a box
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wake — a trail
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. clip — to cut
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. clip — for paper
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. sharp — clever
  22. fine — all right
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. bowl — a football final

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