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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. cue — a hint
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. cue — for pool
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — for betting
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. chip — to eat
  10. cold — not warm
  11. wound — an injury
  12. object — to protest
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. object — a thing
  15. bat — the animal
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. object — an aim
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. wound — an injury
  20. cold — an illness
  21. plane — a tool
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. cue — a signal
  24. cold — the Cold War

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