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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. chip — for betting
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. cue — for pool
  6. cue — a signal
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. cue — a hint
  13. chip — to eat
  14. squash — to crush
  15. lie — to recline
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. cell — a phone
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. cell — in biology
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. squash — the sport

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