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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. row — to paddle
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. fall — the season
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. fall — to drop
  10. saw — the tool
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bulb — for light
  14. fall — to drop
  15. chip — to eat
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bulb — for light
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. wake — a trail
  24. row — a line

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