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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. chip — for betting
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chest — a box
  8. kid — child
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. chip — to eat
  11. tube — a container
  12. mug — a face
  13. wind — moving air
  14. chest — of your body
  15. fall — the season
  16. fall — to drop
  17. mug — a cup
  18. fall — to drop
  19. tube — the underground
  20. kid — to tease
  21. mug — to rob
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. wind — moving air

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