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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 116 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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  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. hide — to keep secret
  2. chip — for betting
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. file — a line of people
  5. current — happening now
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. chip — to eat
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. drill — a practice
  10. file — a document
  11. current — electric
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. file — a tool
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. current — of water
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — a tin
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. drill — the tool
  21. can — to be able to
  22. drill — army training
  23. wave — of the sea
  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