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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. snap — to click
  7. rash — hasty
  8. pop — to visit
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. rash — a series
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. chip — for betting
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. pop — soda
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. pop — music
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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