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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. chip — for betting
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. mark — a grade
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. mark — a trace
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. cell — a phone
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. squash — the sport
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. cell — in biology
  15. squash — to crush
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. chip — to eat
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. sharp — clever
  24. cell — in a prison

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