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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 116 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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. lie — to recline
  5. spell — magic
  6. chip — for betting
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. current — electric
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. chip — to eat
  12. current — of water
  13. kid — to tease
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. sharp — clever
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. spell — letters
  19. current — happening now
  20. kid — child
  21. kick — in football
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. branch — a division
  24. spell — a short time

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