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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 120 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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. charge — electricity
  11. chip — to eat
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. chip — for betting
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. tube — the underground
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. charge — in control
  19. charge — a price
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. tube — a container
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. tube — in a tire

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