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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. mug — to rob
  3. row — to paddle
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. mug — a face
  6. bear — the animal
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mug — a cup
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. wind — moving air
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. foot — a measure
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. chip — to eat
  22. wind — moving air
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. row — a line

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