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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. chip — to eat
  3. race — a contest
  4. lie — to recline
  5. charge — electricity
  6. chip — for betting
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. race — humankind
  9. bark — to shout
  10. wake — a trail
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. field — for sport
  13. charge — a price
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. field — farmland
  16. race — the arms race
  17. field — a subject
  18. drill — a practice
  19. drill — army training
  20. charge — in control
  21. drill — the tool
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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