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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. scale — size or range
  4. lean — thin
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. chip — to eat
  9. fine — high quality
  10. lean — to bend
  11. clip — to cut
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. clip — a video
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. scale — in music
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. fine — all right
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. chip — for betting
  23. clip — for paper
  24. lie — to recline

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