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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 116 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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. chip — to eat
  7. pit — in a race
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pit — a hole
  11. rock — music
  12. hand — help
  13. spring — of water
  14. chip — for betting
  15. hand — in cards
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. dip — to sink
  18. spring — the season
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. rock — a stone
  24. hide — to keep secret

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