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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. snap — to click
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. bat — the animal
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. row — a line
  12. chip — to eat
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. toast — bread
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. lie — to recline
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. row — to paddle
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. chip — for betting
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. deal — to handle
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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