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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. charge — a price
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. band — a music group
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. field — for sport
  8. chip — for betting
  9. charge — electricity
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. chip — to eat
  14. wax — to grow
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. field — farmland
  17. lie — to recline
  18. pit — a hole
  19. field — a subject
  20. dip — to sink
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. band — a ring
  23. pit — in a race
  24. charge — in control

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