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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  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. chip — for betting
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. kid — child
  4. bear — the animal
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. mug — a face
  9. bulb — for light
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. kid — to tease
  13. mine — for digging
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. mug — to rob
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bulb — for light
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. mug — a cup
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. bear — the animal
  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