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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 116 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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. chip — to eat
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. chip — for betting
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. tube — the underground
  13. scale — in music
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. pass — a permit
  17. spring — the season
  18. tube — a container
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. spring — a coil
  22. sharp — clever
  23. scale — size or range
  24. spring — of water

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