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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 120 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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. chip — for betting
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. chip — to eat
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. dip — to sink
  15. rock — music
  16. kid — to tease
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. stock — goods
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. rock — a stone
  23. stock — shares
  24. pass — a permit

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