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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. kid — to tease
  4. fall — the season
  5. hand — in cards
  6. cap — a hat
  7. cue — a hint
  8. fall — to drop
  9. face — part of the head
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. chip — for betting
  12. cap — a lid
  13. chip — to eat
  14. saw — the tool
  15. cap — of ice
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. cue — a signal
  18. face — to point toward
  19. face — to confront
  20. hand — help
  21. fall — to drop
  22. saw — the tool
  23. kid — child
  24. cue — for pool

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