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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. foot — a measure
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pop — music
  6. cap — a hat
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. cap — a lid
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — in sport
  12. pop — soda
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. content — happy
  15. lie — to recline
  16. chip — for betting
  17. content — the amount
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. season — of the year
  24. cap — of ice

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