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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. present — a gift
  5. spell — a short time
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. spell — letters
  11. present — the time now
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. present — there
  14. lie — to recline
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. chair — a leader
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. chip — to eat
  21. fork — in a road
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. spell — magic

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