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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. tear — from crying
  4. degree — temperature
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. pass — a permit
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. chip — for betting
  10. degree — from a university
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. tear — from crying
  15. vault — a safe
  16. tear — to rip
  17. degree — an amount
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — to recline
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. mouse — for a computer

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