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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  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 — to eat
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. cold — an illness
  8. rest — a break
  9. dip — to sink
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. rest — what's left
  13. craft — a skill
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. chip — for betting
  18. cold — not warm
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. rest — what's left
  23. craft — boats
  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