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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. club — a group
  3. chip — to eat
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. press — a publisher
  6. club — for golf
  7. club — for dancing
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. mine — for digging
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — to recline
  12. land — a country
  13. land — ground
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. press — to push
  16. land — to come down
  17. press — newspapers
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. chip — for betting
  20. rash — a series
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. rash — hasty
  24. ruler — for measuring

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