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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. lie — to recline
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. row — to paddle
  10. chip — to eat
  11. row — a line
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. chip — for betting
  18. stand — to bear
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. lean — to bend
  23. hand — help
  24. lean — thin

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