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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 116 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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. hand — in cards
  5. track — a song
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. suit — in cards
  8. lie — to recline
  9. suit — to fit
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. suit — clothes
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. chip — for betting
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. track — to keep track
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. track — a path
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pound — a weight
  22. hand — help
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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