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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. chip — for betting
  3. rush — hurry
  4. chip — to eat
  5. wake — a trail
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. march — the month
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. march — music
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. march — the month
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — for measuring

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