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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 120 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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. chip — for betting
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bass — low music
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. chip — to eat
  7. bass — the fish
  8. file — a document
  9. ball — a dance
  10. ball — a great time
  11. file — a line of people
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. cap — a hat
  16. bat — the animal
  17. file — a tool
  18. cap — a lid
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. cap — of ice
  24. chip — in a computer

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