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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 124 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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. chip — for betting
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. cue — for pool
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. tear — to rip
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. cue — a signal
  12. firm — decided
  13. tear — from crying
  14. firm — steady
  15. kid — child
  16. hand — help
  17. kid — to tease
  18. chip — to eat
  19. tear — from crying
  20. firm — a company
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. cue — a hint

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