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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. sharp — clever
  4. fall — the season
  5. chest — a box
  6. suit — to fit
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — a break
  9. chip — for betting
  10. fall — to drop
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. suit — in cards
  13. chest — of your body
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chip — to eat
  16. fall — to drop
  17. suit — clothes
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. scale — in music
  22. rest — what's left
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. sharp — with an edge

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