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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. lie — to recline
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. can — to be able to
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. swing — to play on
  8. chip — to eat
  9. swing — in golf
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. pop — soda
  12. lean — to bend
  13. mine — for digging
  14. pop — music
  15. pop — to visit
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. chip — for betting
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. can — a tin
  22. lean — thin
  23. can — a tin
  24. swing — music

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