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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 124 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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Word bank
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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: swing · snap · ruler · hide · cabinet · bulb · chip · sharp

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. snap — to click
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bulb — for light
  5. sharp — clever
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. bulb — for light
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. chip — to eat
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. swing — to play on
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. swing — in golf
  23. swing — music
  24. bulb — of a plant

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