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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 116 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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. mark — a grade
  3. wound — an injury
  4. fall — the season
  5. mark — a trace
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. object — an aim
  8. wound — an injury
  9. object — to protest
  10. deal — to handle
  11. fall — to drop
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. clip — to cut
  18. fall — to drop
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. chip — for betting
  21. clip — a video
  22. object — a thing
  23. chip — to eat
  24. clip — for paper

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