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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. game — a match
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. cold — an illness
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. lean — thin
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. suit — clothes
  13. snap — to click
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. chip — to eat
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. cold — not warm
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. suit — to fit
  23. lean — to bend
  24. game — wild animals

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