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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 124 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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. chip — to eat
  3. dip — to sink
  4. lie — to recline
  5. staff — a stick
  6. staff — employees
  7. pound — a weight
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. rest — what's left
  12. shower — rain
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. staff — employees
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. rest — a break
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. sharp — clever
  22. chip — for betting
  23. shower — to wash
  24. sharp — with an edge

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