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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. spell — a short time
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. wind — moving air
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. perch — the fish
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. wind — moving air
  10. face — part of the head
  11. face — to confront
  12. spell — letters
  13. clip — for paper
  14. spell — magic
  15. chip — to eat
  16. clip — a video
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. face — to point toward
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. chip — for betting
  22. clip — to cut
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. hide — animal skin

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