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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. pit — a hole
  3. lie — to recline
  4. last — finally
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. pit — in a race
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. bulb — for light
  9. last — to go on
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. chip — to eat
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. file — a document
  16. last — final
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. file — a line of people
  19. spring — of water
  20. file — a tool
  21. spring — the season
  22. spring — a coil
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. bulb — for light

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