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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. chip — for betting
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. sharp — clever
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. chip — to eat
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. bear — the animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. toast — bread
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. snap — to click
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — the fish

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