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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. rest — what's left
  4. chip — to eat
  5. cap — of ice
  6. tear — to rip
  7. kid — to tease
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. kid — child
  12. rest — a break
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. tear — from crying
  16. rest — what's left
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. cap — a lid
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. tear — from crying
  23. cap — a hat
  24. pass — a permit

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