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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. chip — for betting
  4. mug — a cup
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. tube — a container
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. lean — to bend
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. kick — in football
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. lean — thin
  18. mug — to rob
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. mug — a face
  21. rush — hurry
  22. tube — the underground
  23. chip — to eat
  24. nail — for a hammer

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