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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. shower — to wash
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. file — a document
  5. season — in sport
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. file — a line of people
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. cap — a lid
  11. chip — for betting
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. cap — of ice
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. chip — to eat
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. cap — a hat
  18. season — of the year
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. file — a tool
  22. shower — rain
  23. lie — to recline
  24. ruler — for measuring

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