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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. chip — to eat
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. spell — a short time
  9. stock — goods
  10. bear — the animal
  11. chip — for betting
  12. clip — to cut
  13. spell — magic
  14. spell — letters
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bat — the animal
  17. stock — shares
  18. clip — a video
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. clip — for paper
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. bat — for baseball

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