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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. firm — decided
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. saw — the tool
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. suit — in cards
  7. row — to paddle
  8. saw — the tool
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. cold — not warm
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. chip — for betting
  15. firm — a company
  16. firm — steady
  17. cold — an illness
  18. suit — to fit
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. row — a line
  24. suit — clothes

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