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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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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. staff — employees
  3. suit — clothes
  4. pit — in a race
  5. staff — employees
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. chip — to eat
  8. ground — the earth
  9. ground — crushed
  10. chip — for betting
  11. suit — in cards
  12. mug — a face
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. lie — to recline
  15. pit — a hole
  16. mug — a cup
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. ground — a position
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. suit — to fit
  22. mug — to rob
  23. staff — a stick
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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