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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. content — happy
  3. lie — to recline
  4. fall — to drop
  5. tube — the underground
  6. current — of water
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. chip — to eat
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. content — the amount
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. fall — to drop
  13. squash — the sport
  14. bore — to drill
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. tube — a container
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. current — electric
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. squash — to crush
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. bore — to tire
  23. current — happening now
  24. fall — the season

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