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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. file — a line of people
  3. chip — to eat
  4. snap — to click
  5. tube — a container
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. file — a document
  8. spring — a coil
  9. pop — soda
  10. craft — boats
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. file — a tool
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. spring — the season
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pop — music
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. craft — a skill
  23. tube — the underground
  24. spring — of water

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