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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. rest — a break
  5. chip — for betting
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — what's left
  11. row — a line
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. chip — to eat
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. rash — a series
  17. court — of a king
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. court — of law
  20. rash — hasty
  21. court — for sport
  22. lie — to recline
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. row — to paddle

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