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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. chip — for betting
  7. board — to get on
  8. last — finally
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wind — moving air
  13. firm — a company
  14. chip — to eat
  15. last — to go on
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. board — a committee
  19. firm — decided
  20. firm — steady
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. deal — to handle
  23. sharp — clever
  24. wake — a trail

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