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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 124 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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. deal — to handle
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. chip — for betting
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. foot — a measure
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. scale — in music
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. scale — size or range
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. chip — to eat
  21. lie — to recline
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. pound — a weight
  24. fan — a supporter

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