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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. sharp — clever
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. chip — to eat
  10. fine — high quality
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. lie — to recline
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. band — a music group
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. fine — all right
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. band — a ring
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tear — to rip
  21. dip — to sink
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. tear — from crying
  24. chip — for betting

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