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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mate — a friend
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. lean — to bend
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. saw — the tool
  12. mate — to breed
  13. last — final
  14. sharp — clever
  15. last — finally
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. saw — the tool
  19. toast — bread
  20. lean — thin
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. last — to go on
  24. chip — to eat

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