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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. pop — music
  4. suit — to fit
  5. chip — for betting
  6. rush — hurry
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. chest — of your body
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. pop — soda
  13. chest — of your body
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hand — help
  17. chest — a box
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. pop — to visit
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. suit — in cards
  23. chip — to eat
  24. suit — clothes

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