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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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  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. game — a match
  3. lean — to bend
  4. present — a gift
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. present — there
  7. present — the time now
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stand — to bear
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. game — wild animals
  12. snap — to click
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. season — in sport
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. season — of the year
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. chip — for betting
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. lean — thin
  22. band — a ring
  23. band — a music group
  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