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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. mark — a grade
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. last — finally
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. land — to come down
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. chip — for betting
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. bore — to tire
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. last — to go on
  14. bore — to drill
  15. snap — to click
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. land — a country
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. dip — to sink
  22. last — final
  23. chip — to eat
  24. mark — a trace

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