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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. swing — music
  4. degree — an amount
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. firm — a company
  8. shower — rain
  9. hand — in cards
  10. swing — to play on
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. firm — steady
  13. firm — decided
  14. chip — for betting
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. hand — help
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. chip — to eat
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — to recline
  21. degree — from a university
  22. swing — in golf
  23. degree — temperature
  24. shower — to wash

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