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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. object — to protest
  3. chip — to eat
  4. object — a thing
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. spring — a coil
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. hand — in cards
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. spring — the season
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. spring — of water
  22. object — an aim
  23. hand — help
  24. patient — calm and waiting

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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