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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. chip — for betting
  3. craft — boats
  4. toast — bread
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. craft — a skill
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. cap — a lid
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. cap — of ice
  19. chip — to eat
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. cap — a hat
  24. craft — a handicraft

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