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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. land — ground
  4. bear — the animal
  5. squash — to crush
  6. chip — to eat
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. squash — the sport
  9. bear — the animal
  10. chip — for betting
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. lie — to recline
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. kick — in football
  16. fall — to drop
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. fall — the season
  19. land — a country
  20. fall — to drop
  21. pound — a weight
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. land — to come down
  24. squash — the vegetable

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