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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. chip — to eat
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. clip — a video
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. game — wild animals
  8. kid — to tease
  9. rest — what's left
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. kid — child
  13. chip — for betting
  14. clip — for paper
  15. game — a match
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. rest — what's left
  19. clip — to cut
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. rest — a break
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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