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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. cue — a hint
  3. swing — to play on
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. cue — a signal
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. chair — a leader
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. cue — for pool
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. rash — hasty
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. swing — in golf
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. rash — a series
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. chip — for betting
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. swing — music

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