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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. rest — what's left
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. chip — to eat
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — the animal
  10. rest — what's left
  11. fine — high quality
  12. file — a document
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. fine — all right
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. rest — a break
  19. game — wild animals
  20. game — a match
  21. file — a line of people
  22. chip — for betting
  23. tear — from crying
  24. file — a tool

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