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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. object — a thing
  6. object — an aim
  7. bound — tied together
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. bound — certain
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. chip — to eat
  15. bound — obliged
  16. object — to protest
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. snap — to click
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. chair — a leader
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. hide — to keep secret

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