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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. chip — for betting
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. cold — an illness
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. date — the fruit
  10. cold — not warm
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. craft — a skill
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. craft — boats
  19. chip — to eat
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. date — on the calendar

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