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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 120 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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. mug — a cup
  3. hand — in cards
  4. chip — for betting
  5. mug — to rob
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. rest — a break
  8. chip — to eat
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. hand — help
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. spell — letters
  13. rest — what's left
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. perch — the fish
  16. mug — a face
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. spell — magic
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. spell — a short time
  21. rest — what's left
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. mine — for digging
  24. hand — part of the body

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