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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. ground — a position
  6. game — wild animals
  7. suit — to fit
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. chip — for betting
  11. roll — a list
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. ground — crushed
  14. suit — clothes
  15. chip — to eat
  16. ground — the earth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — to recline
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. snap — to click
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. game — a match
  24. suit — in cards

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