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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. chip — for betting
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. can — a tin
  6. chip — to eat
  7. prune — to trim
  8. wound — an injury
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. prune — to trim
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. can — a tin
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. wound — an injury
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. saw — the tool

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