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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. chip — for betting
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rash — a series
  6. rock — a stone
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. rash — hasty
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. rock — music
  14. lie — to recline
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. ball — a great time
  19. spring — of water
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. spring — the season
  22. stand — to bear
  23. chip — to eat
  24. spring — a coil

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