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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. track — to keep track
  4. lean — to bend
  5. tube — a container
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. chip — for betting
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. cap — a hat
  12. track — a path
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. snap — to click
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. track — a song
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. cap — of ice
  19. chip — to eat
  20. tube — the underground
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lean — thin
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. cap — a lid

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