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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. can — a tin
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. chip — to eat
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bear — the animal
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. can — a tin
  13. bear — the animal
  14. chip — for betting
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. dip — to sink
  19. sharp — clever
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. can — to be able to
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. sharp — exactly

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