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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. file — a line of people
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. club — for golf
  7. present — a gift
  8. wound — an injury
  9. drill — the tool
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. drill — army training
  12. lie — to recline
  13. drill — a practice
  14. wound — an injury
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. present — there
  17. file — a tool
  18. present — the time now
  19. chip — to eat
  20. club — a group
  21. file — a document
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. chip — for betting
  24. club — for dancing

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