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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. rest — what's left
  3. game — wild animals
  4. chip — to eat
  5. game — a match
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. rest — what's left
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. chip — for betting
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. rest — a break

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