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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. root — the cause
  3. hand — help
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bound — tied together
  7. tube — the underground
  8. chip — for betting
  9. cold — not warm
  10. bound — certain
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. hand — in cards
  13. root — of a word
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. lie — to recline
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bound — obliged
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. cold — an illness
  21. tube — a container
  22. chip — to eat
  23. root — of a plant
  24. mouse — for a computer

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