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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. tear — to rip
  3. tear — from crying
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — to recline
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. mark — a grade
  8. land — ground
  9. land — a country
  10. chip — to eat
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bear — the animal
  13. branch — a division
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. chip — for betting
  17. mark — a trace
  18. tear — from crying
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bear — the animal
  21. land — to come down
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. bear — to put up with

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