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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. chip — for betting
  4. rock — music
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. kid — child
  7. chip — to eat
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. kick — in football
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. rule — a law
  16. hand — help
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rule — government
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. hand — in cards
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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