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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. object — a thing
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. chip — to eat
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. perch — the fish
  8. object — an aim
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. chip — for betting
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. snap — to click
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. spell — a short time
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. cold — not warm
  18. spell — letters
  19. spell — magic
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. cold — an illness
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. object — to protest

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