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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. stand — to bear
  6. chip — to eat
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. mate — a partner
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. clip — to cut
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mate — to breed
  17. file — a line of people
  18. file — a tool
  19. clip — a video
  20. clip — for paper
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. file — a document
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. leaves — of a tree

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