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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pit — a hole
  3. snap — to click
  4. chip — for betting
  5. firm — steady
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. firm — a company
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. foot — a measure
  11. pit — in a race
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. rash — hasty
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. firm — decided
  19. bear — the animal
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. rash — a series
  22. chip — to eat
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. bear — the animal

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