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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. rule — government
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. perch — the fish
  5. chip — for betting
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. shower — to wash
  10. pop — to visit
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. pop — soda
  15. rule — a law
  16. lie — to recline
  17. shower — rain
  18. pop — music
  19. bat — the animal
  20. chip — to eat
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. lie — an untruth

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