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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. bear — the animal
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. clip — for paper
  9. chip — for betting
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bear — the animal
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. tube — the underground
  17. bat — the animal
  18. chip — to eat
  19. clip — a video
  20. clip — to cut
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. season — in sport
  23. tube — a container
  24. season — of the year

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