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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. chip — for betting
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. fall — to drop
  6. mate — to breed
  7. kid — to tease
  8. mate — a friend
  9. chip — to eat
  10. pit — a hole
  11. mate — a partner
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. spell — a short time
  14. mark — a grade
  15. kid — child
  16. spell — magic
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pit — in a race
  19. tube — the underground
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — the season
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tube — a container
  24. spell — letters

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