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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. can — to be able to
  4. wind — moving air
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. mine — for digging
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bound — tied together
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. bound — obliged
  18. can — a tin
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. chip — to eat
  21. bound — certain
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. can — a tin
  24. fan — a supporter

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