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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 124 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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. mate — a partner
  3. ground — a position
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. chip — for betting
  6. ground — the earth
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. cap — of ice
  9. dip — to sink
  10. last — to go on
  11. cap — a hat
  12. current — of water
  13. current — happening now
  14. cap — a lid
  15. last — final
  16. last — finally
  17. ground — crushed
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. chip — to eat
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. current — electric
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mate — a friend
  24. dip — to dunk

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