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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. row — a line
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. wind — moving air
  5. chip — to eat
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. bulb — for light
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. dip — to sink
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. chip — for betting
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. branch — a division
  20. row — to paddle
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bulb — for light

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