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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. False peace will not ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. last — to go on
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. firm — steady
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. rest — what's left
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. last — final
  9. last — finally
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. firm — a company
  12. firm — decided
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. hand — help
  15. snap — to click
  16. rest — what's left
  17. hand — in cards
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. rest — a break
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. chip — to eat

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