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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 120 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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. chip — to eat
  3. sharp — clever
  4. kid — to tease
  5. march — the month
  6. ball — a dance
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. shower — rain
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. mark — a grade
  13. chip — for betting
  14. ball — a great time
  15. shower — to wash
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. kid — child
  18. march — music
  19. mark — a trace
  20. lie — to recline
  21. march — the month
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. lie — an untruth

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