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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. rule — a law
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. object — a thing
  6. chip — to eat
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. row — to paddle
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. deal — to handle
  11. cold — an illness
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. cold — not warm
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. chip — for betting
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. rule — government
  23. object — an aim
  24. object — to protest

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