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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fine — high quality
  3. can — to be able to
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. chip — for betting
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. saw — the tool
  8. chip — to eat
  9. chest — a box
  10. fine — all right
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. can — a tin
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. chest — of your body
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. lean — to bend
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. saw — the tool
  20. chest — of your body
  21. can — a tin
  22. lean — thin
  23. foot — a measure
  24. foot — the bottom

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