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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. chip — for betting
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. squash — the sport
  7. deal — to handle
  8. present — there
  9. chip — to eat
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. wound — an injury
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. present — the time now
  17. wound — an injury
  18. present — a gift
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. lie — to recline
  21. file — a tool
  22. squash — to crush
  23. file — a line of people
  24. file — a document

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