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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 116 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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. rock — music
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. wind — moving air
  6. clip — a video
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. chip — to eat
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. chip — for betting
  11. clip — for paper
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. clip — to cut
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. lie — to recline
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fine — all right
  21. rush — hurry
  22. fine — high quality
  23. wind — moving air
  24. rock — a stone

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