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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. chip — to eat
  3. pop — soda
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. march — the month
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. deal — to handle
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. march — music
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. mine — for digging
  17. lie — to recline
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. chip — for betting
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. pop — music
  22. foot — a measure
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. pop — to visit

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