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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chest — of your body
  5. cell — a phone
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. chip — to eat
  8. clip — for paper
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. clip — to cut
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. chest — a box
  13. saw — the tool
  14. pit — a hole
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. saw — the tool
  17. cell — in biology
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. clip — a video
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. pit — in a race
  24. chest — of your body

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