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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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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. chip — for betting
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. chip — to eat
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mate — a partner
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. mine — for digging

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