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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. bound — tied together
  3. object — to protest
  4. suit — in cards
  5. chip — for betting
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bound — certain
  9. object — a thing
  10. object — an aim
  11. present — the time now
  12. suit — clothes
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. present — there
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. chip — to eat
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. present — a gift
  19. suit — to fit
  20. tube — the underground
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. bat — the animal
  24. chip — in a computer

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