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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. chip — to eat
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. hand — in cards
  8. lie — to recline
  9. rock — a stone
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. shower — rain
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. shower — to wash
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. chip — for betting
  18. hand — help

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