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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. last — final
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. ball — a dance
  6. saw — the tool
  7. key — for a lock
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. key — in music
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. chip — for betting
  13. key — the most important part
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. mark — a trace
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. last — finally
  19. ball — a great time
  20. mark — a grade
  21. saw — the tool
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. last — to go on

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