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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. cold — an illness
  3. land — a country
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. chip — for betting
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. suit — clothes
  8. lie — to recline
  9. chip — to eat
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. suit — in cards
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. land — to come down
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. spring — the season
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. spring — a coil
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. land — ground
  21. cold — not warm
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. spring — of water
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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