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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. ground — the earth
  4. current — of water
  5. ground — crushed
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bound — obliged
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bound — certain
  10. bound — tied together
  11. chip — to eat
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. current — electric
  14. plane — a tool
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. ground — a position
  18. scale — size or range
  19. scale — in music
  20. current — happening now
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. chip — for betting
  24. plane — in geometry

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