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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. chip — for betting
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. lie — to recline
  6. hand — help
  7. land — ground
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. key — for a lock
  10. hand — in cards
  11. land — a country
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. mark — a trace
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. land — to come down
  16. key — in music
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. clip — to cut
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. mark — a grade
  22. clip — a video
  23. clip — for paper
  24. key — the most important part

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