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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. staff — a stick
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. chip — to eat
  8. staff — employees
  9. cue — a hint
  10. staff — employees
  11. bear — the animal
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. rule — a law
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. cue — a signal
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. cue — for pool
  19. lie — to recline
  20. chip — for betting
  21. rule — government
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bear — the animal

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