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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  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. tear — to rip
  2. chip — for betting
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. squash — the sport
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. court — of a king
  10. tear — from crying
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cue — for pool
  15. squash — to crush
  16. court — of law
  17. court — for sport
  18. cue — a hint
  19. snap — to click
  20. tear — from crying
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. leaves — to go away
  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