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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.

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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: chest · chip · object · mouse · foot · coach · mark · hide

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. chest — of your body
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. chip — to eat
  6. object — a thing
  7. chest — of your body
  8. object — an aim
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mark — a grade
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. foot — a measure
  16. mark — a trace
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. chest — a box
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. chip — for betting
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. object — to protest

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