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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. game — wild animals
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. chip — to eat
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. club — for golf
  9. chip — for betting
  10. club — a group
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. deal — to handle
  13. lie — to recline
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. game — a match
  21. club — for dancing
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. kick — in football

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