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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. chip — for betting
  3. ball — a great time
  4. current — of water
  5. lie — to recline
  6. current — happening now
  7. field — farmland
  8. field — a subject
  9. mate — to breed
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. cold — not warm
  12. cold — an illness
  13. field — for sport
  14. mate — a partner
  15. staff — employees
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. staff — a stick
  21. mate — a friend
  22. staff — employees
  23. chip — to eat
  24. current — electric

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