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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 116 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 · hide · bay · rule · saw · sharp · bat · wind

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  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. wind — to turn a key
  2. bat — the animal
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. rule — government
  6. chip — to eat
  7. saw — the tool
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. saw — the tool
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. sharp — clever
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. rule — a law
  20. wind — moving air
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bay — a horse colour
  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