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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. rash — a series
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. rash — hasty
  6. mate — a friend
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. sharp — clever
  9. mate — a partner
  10. scale — size or range
  11. mate — to breed
  12. scale — in music
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. chip — for betting
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. chip — to eat
  18. foot — a measure
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. rash — on the skin

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