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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. cap — of ice
  4. rash — a series
  5. land — to come down
  6. land — a country
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. rush — hurry
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. land — ground
  11. chip — for betting
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a path
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rash — hasty
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. cap — a hat
  21. track — a song
  22. cap — a lid
  23. wave — of the sea
  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