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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've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. chip — for betting
  3. last — final
  4. rash — a series
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. ground — a position
  10. pop — soda
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. ground — crushed
  13. lie — to recline
  14. kid — child
  15. rash — hasty
  16. kid — to tease
  17. last — to go on
  18. ground — the earth
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. snap — to click
  21. pop — music
  22. pop — to visit
  23. chip — to eat
  24. last — finally

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