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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. bear — the animal
  3. chip — to eat
  4. bear — the animal
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. chip — for betting
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. shower — rain
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. lie — to recline
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. face — to confront
  13. shower — to wash
  14. march — the month
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. season — in sport
  17. march — music
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. face — to point toward
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. season — of the year
  23. face — part of the head
  24. march — the month

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