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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chip — for betting
  5. wound — an injury
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. rash — a series
  8. ball — a great time
  9. rest — what's left
  10. spell — letters
  11. ball — a dance
  12. pop — to visit
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. rest — what's left
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. spell — magic
  18. wound — an injury
  19. rest — a break
  20. pop — music
  21. spell — a short time
  22. pop — soda
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. chip — in a computer

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