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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  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. chip — in a computer
  2. chip — to eat
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. kick — in football
  7. chip — for betting
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. wound — an injury
  10. craft — boats
  11. craft — a skill
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. wound — an injury
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. lean — thin
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. lean — to bend
  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