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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. chip — for betting
  3. rest — what's left
  4. branch — a division
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. rock — a stone
  7. rest — a break
  8. rock — music
  9. chip — to eat
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. kid — child
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — an injury
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. kid — to tease
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. hide — to keep secret

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