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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. chip — to eat
  3. last — to go on
  4. net — in sport
  5. foot — a measure
  6. net — for catching
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. rash — a series
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. rest — a break
  13. chip — for betting
  14. rest — what's left
  15. last — finally
  16. rash — hasty
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. last — final
  22. rest — what's left
  23. net — after costs
  24. jam — a tight spot

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