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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. sharp — clever
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. foot — a measure
  6. rock — a stone
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. last — finally
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. last — to go on
  11. chip — to eat
  12. mine — for digging
  13. band — a music group
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. band — a ring
  19. last — final
  20. rock — music
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. chip — for betting
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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