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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. chip — for betting
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. bat — the animal
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pop — soda
  11. suit — in cards
  12. rash — a series
  13. pop — music
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. suit — clothes
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. rash — hasty
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. kid — to tease
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. suit — to fit
  24. chip — to eat

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