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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. mate — to breed
  3. stand — to bear
  4. mate — a friend
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. chip — for betting
  8. staff — employees
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. staff — a stick
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. chip — to eat
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. mate — a partner
  17. bat — the animal
  18. staff — employees
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. arm — part of the body

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