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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tube — a container
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. hand — help
  6. tear — to rip
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. tear — from crying
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. tube — the underground
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. chip — to eat
  14. last — to go on
  15. last — finally
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. last — final
  20. chip — for betting
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. hand — in cards
  24. wave — with your hand

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