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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. saw — the tool
  3. game — a match
  4. clip — a video
  5. mug — a cup
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. mug — to rob
  11. fork — in a road
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. clip — for paper
  15. game — wild animals
  16. chip — to eat
  17. saw — the tool
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. chip — for betting
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. clip — to cut
  22. mug — a face
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. game — a kind of play

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