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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. object — a thing
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. snap — to click
  6. pitch — completely
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. field — farmland
  10. chip — to eat
  11. field — a subject
  12. chip — for betting
  13. object — to protest
  14. saw — the tool
  15. field — for sport
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — moving air
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. lie — to recline
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. object — an aim

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