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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. deal — to handle
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. game — wild animals
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. chip — for betting
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. wake — a trail
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. chip — to eat
  24. foot — a measure

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