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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. wake — a trail
  3. chip — for betting
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. band — a ring
  6. can — a tin
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. can — a tin
  11. pit — a hole
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. rule — government
  16. rule — a law
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. band — a music group
  19. clip — to cut
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. clip — for paper
  22. clip — a video
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. can — to be able to

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