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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. kid — to tease
  5. wound — an injury
  6. chip — for betting
  7. wound — an injury
  8. ground — a position
  9. kid — child
  10. snap — to click
  11. rule — government
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. deal — to handle
  16. ground — the earth
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. ground — crushed
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. rule — a law
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. chip — in a computer

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