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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. chip — for betting
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. suit — clothes
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. lie — to recline
  14. suit — to fit
  15. kid — child
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. pit — in a race
  18. cold — an illness
  19. kid — to tease
  20. branch — a division
  21. suit — in cards
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. chip — to eat
  24. cold — not warm

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