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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. rock — a stone
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mug — a face
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mug — to rob
  12. chest — of your body
  13. rock — music
  14. track — to keep track
  15. track — a path
  16. row — to paddle
  17. track — a song
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. saw — the tool
  20. chest — a box
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. row — a line
  23. saw — the tool
  24. chip — for betting

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