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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. shower — rain
  4. chip — to eat
  5. shower — to wash
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. squash — to crush
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. tube — a container
  13. band — a music group
  14. band — a ring
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. squash — the sport
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. snap — to click
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. plane — a tool
  23. chip — for betting
  24. tube — the underground

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