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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 120 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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bark — to shout
  5. foot — a measure
  6. mine — for digging
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. chip — to eat
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rule — a law
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. rule — government
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. cold — not warm
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. lie — to recline
  23. cold — an illness
  24. chip — for betting

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