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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. swing — music
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. chest — of your body
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. chip — to eat
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. chest — a box
  11. wound — an injury
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. last — final
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. swing — in golf
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. last — finally
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. wound — an injury
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. swing — to play on
  24. last — to go on

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