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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. ground — the earth
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chip — to eat
  5. firm — decided
  6. shower — to wash
  7. rule — a law
  8. ground — crushed
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. perch — the fish
  15. firm — a company
  16. shower — rain
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. ground — a position
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. firm — steady
  22. last — finally
  23. last — to go on
  24. rule — government

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