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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. hand — help
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. staff — employees
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. tube — the underground
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. tube — a container
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. firm — decided
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. hand — in cards
  16. firm — a company
  17. file — a line of people
  18. file — a document
  19. file — a tool
  20. staff — employees
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. staff — a stick
  23. firm — steady
  24. chip — for betting

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