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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. wake — a trail
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. spell — a short time
  5. dip — to sink
  6. hand — in cards
  7. board — to get on
  8. chip — to eat
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. spell — magic
  12. spell — letters
  13. hand — help
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. cue — a hint
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bore — to drill
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. cue — a signal
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. cue — for pool
  23. board — a committee
  24. chip — for betting

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