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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. chip — to eat
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. sharp — clever
  8. band — a music group
  9. wake — a trail
  10. band — a ring
  11. pound — a weight
  12. staff — a stick
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — employees
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. chip — for betting
  18. saw — the tool
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. saw — the tool
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — an untruth

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