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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. sharp — clever
  3. bank — for money
  4. wound — an injury
  5. season — in sport
  6. bank — for money
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. wound — an injury
  9. pass — a permit
  10. bank — of a river
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. season — of the year
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — to rip
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. chip — to eat
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. tear — from crying

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