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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. pass — a permit
  4. game — a match
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rash — hasty
  7. current — happening now
  8. file — a tool
  9. file — a document
  10. rash — a series
  11. game — wild animals
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. current — electric
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. rush — hurry
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. file — a line of people
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. chip — for betting
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. chip — to eat
  24. current — of water

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