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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. hand — help
  3. clip — for paper
  4. chip — to eat
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. clip — to cut
  10. hand — in cards
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. rock — a stone
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. pit — a hole
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. clip — a video
  20. rock — music
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. chip — for betting
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. wave — of the sea

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