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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. fork — in a road
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. chip — for betting
  9. chip — to eat
  10. rash — a series
  11. rash — hasty
  12. degree — from a university
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. degree — temperature
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. degree — an amount
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. fork — a garden tool

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