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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. dip — to sink
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. present — a gift
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. chip — to eat
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. cell — in biology
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. present — there
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — to get on
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. rush — hurry
  20. present — the time now
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. board — a committee
  23. cell — a phone
  24. chip — for betting

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