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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. chip — to eat
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. capital — money
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. lie — to recline
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. net — in sport
  12. net — for catching
  13. wound — an injury
  14. capital — a city
  15. saw — the tool
  16. net — after costs
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. bulb — for light
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bulb — for light
  23. stand — to bear
  24. chip — for betting

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