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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. file — a tool
  4. object — to protest
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. bear — the animal
  7. object — a thing
  8. cell — in biology
  9. bear — the animal
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. chip — for betting
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. file — a document
  17. file — a line of people
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. cell — a phone
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. object — an aim
  23. wake — a trail
  24. cabinet — ministers

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