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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 116 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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. lie — to recline
  3. chip — to eat
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. march — the month
  6. rash — hasty
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. fine — all right
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. dip — to sink
  11. pop — to visit
  12. chip — for betting
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. pop — soda
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. march — the month
  19. pop — music
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. march — music
  24. fine — high quality

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