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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 don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. row — a line
  3. rest — a break
  4. rock — music
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. row — to paddle
  7. rock — a stone
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. rest — what's left
  10. chip — for betting
  11. chip — to eat
  12. snap — to click
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. mate — a friend
  15. mate — a partner
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. face — to confront
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. face — part of the head
  20. rest — what's left
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. mate — to breed
  23. face — to point toward
  24. hide — animal skin

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