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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. tube — the underground
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. shower — to wash
  6. bound — obliged
  7. chip — to eat
  8. land — ground
  9. shower — rain
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. track — a song
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. bound — tied together
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. track — a path
  19. track — to keep track
  20. bound — certain
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. land — to come down
  23. land — a country
  24. tube — a container

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