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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. bound — obliged
  5. game — a match
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. lie — to recline
  9. bound — tied together
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. chip — for betting
  12. tube — the underground
  13. bark — to shout
  14. chip — to eat
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. tube — a container
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. game — wild animals
  20. bound — certain
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. lie — an untruth

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