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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. rule — government
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. lie — to recline
  8. kid — child
  9. cue — for pool
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. rash — a series
  12. chip — to eat
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. kid — to tease
  16. chip — for betting
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. cue — a hint
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. cue — a signal
  21. rule — a law
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. lie — an untruth

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