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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 116 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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. chip — to eat
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. last — final
  6. last — to go on
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. club — for golf
  9. chip — for betting
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. ground — the earth
  15. ground — a position
  16. ground — crushed
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. club — for dancing
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. club — a group
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. safe — a strongbox

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