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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: mouse · date · chip · content · hide · key · last · kick

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. chip — for betting
  5. key — in music
  6. date — the fruit
  7. chip — to eat
  8. content — happy
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. key — for a lock
  15. last — final
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. last — to go on
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. kick — in football
  21. content — the amount
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. key — the most important part

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