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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. chip — for betting
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. bear — the animal
  6. fine — all right
  7. bear — the animal
  8. fine — high quality
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. dip — to sink
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. chip — to eat
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. hand — help
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. hand — in cards
  18. snap — to click
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. lean — to bend
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. fine — a penalty

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