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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. chest — a box
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chest — of your body
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. chip — to eat
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. chip — for betting
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. wake — a trail
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. snap — to click
  22. fork — in a road
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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