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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. cap — a hat
  5. spell — a short time
  6. cap — a lid
  7. spell — letters
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. lie — to recline
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. tube — a container
  13. mate — to breed
  14. pass — a permit
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chip — to eat
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. cap — of ice
  21. mate — a partner
  22. mate — a friend
  23. tube — the underground
  24. spell — magic

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