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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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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: chip · cell · wave · tube · lean · suit · game · bay

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. suit — clothes
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. cell — a phone
  6. suit — to fit
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. lean — to bend
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. lean — thin
  13. tube — the underground
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. chip — to eat
  17. cell — in biology
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. suit — in cards
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. game — a match
  23. game — wild animals
  24. chip — for betting

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