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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. dip — to sink
  3. chest — of your body
  4. staff — a stick
  5. chip — for betting
  6. chip — to eat
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. suit — to fit
  11. squash — to crush
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. squash — the sport
  14. chest — a box
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. staff — employees
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. staff — employees
  21. saw — the tool
  22. chest — of your body
  23. suit — clothes
  24. saw — the tool

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