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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. mine — for digging
  3. bulb — for light
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. band — a ring
  6. kid — child
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. saw — the tool
  9. band — a music group
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. kid — to tease
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. saw — the tool
  18. chip — to eat
  19. spell — magic
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. spell — a short time
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. spell — letters
  24. mine — belonging to me

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