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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. chip — for betting
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. cap — of ice
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. file — a document
  11. file — a tool
  12. file — a line of people
  13. chip — to eat
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. rush — hurry
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. cap — a lid
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. cap — a hat
  20. branch — a division
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. hide — to keep secret

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