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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. plane — a tool
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. cold — an illness
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. cold — not warm
  10. swing — in golf
  11. chip — to eat
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. kick — in football
  15. ball — a dance
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. chip — for betting
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. swing — to play on
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. swing — music
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. foot — a measure
  24. ball — a great time

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