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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  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. content — videos and posts
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. last — final
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. chip — to eat
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. rule — a law
  12. content — the amount
  13. last — to go on
  14. foot — a measure
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. content — happy
  19. rule — government
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. last — finally
  23. rule — to rule out
  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