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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. court — for sport
  3. court — of a king
  4. tear — from crying
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. court — of law
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. chip — for betting
  12. spell — letters
  13. stand — to bear
  14. tear — to rip
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. pass — a permit
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. spell — a short time
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. spell — magic
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. tear — from crying

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