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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. cell — a phone
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mate — a partner
  7. bulb — for light
  8. spell — letters
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. bulb — for light
  12. spell — a short time
  13. chip — to eat
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. club — for dancing
  16. club — a group
  17. spell — magic
  18. club — for golf
  19. mate — a friend
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. cell — in biology
  24. hide — to keep secret

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