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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. bound — certain
  3. chip — for betting
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. stand — to bear
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. last — final
  12. bound — obliged
  13. last — finally
  14. present — a gift
  15. row — to paddle
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. chip — to eat
  18. wake — a trail
  19. bound — tied together
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. present — the time now
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. last — to go on
  24. present — there

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