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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. ground — crushed
  3. ground — the earth
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stock — shares
  6. snap — to click
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. firm — steady
  10. firm — a company
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. cell — in biology
  14. cell — a phone
  15. plane — a tool
  16. firm — decided
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — to recline
  20. ground — a position
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. chip — for betting
  23. stock — goods
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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