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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 124 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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. roll — a list
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. chip — for betting
  12. roll — a cake
  13. chest — a box
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bear — the animal
  20. chest — of your body
  21. saw — the tool
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. chip — to eat

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