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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pop · hide · cold · pit · sharp · mug · fine · chip

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. mug — to rob
  3. sharp — clever
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. pop — music
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pit — in a race
  10. mug — a face
  11. cold — an illness
  12. cold — not warm
  13. pop — soda
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. pit — a hole
  16. chip — to eat
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. fine — high quality
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. mug — a cup
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. chip — for betting
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. hide — to keep secret

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