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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ruler · hand · wake · racket · chip · deal · lean · present

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. chip — for betting
  3. chip — to eat
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. deal — to handle
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. present — a gift
  11. present — there
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. lean — thin
  14. wake — a trail
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. hand — help
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. present — the time now
  24. hand — in cards

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