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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. mine — for digging
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. chip — to eat
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. deal — to handle
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. spell — a short time
  15. bear — the animal
  16. pass — a permit
  17. sharp — clever
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. spell — magic
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. chip — for betting
  24. sharp — with an edge

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