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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 120 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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. deal — to handle
  4. cell — in biology
  5. chip — for betting
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. tube — a container
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. stock — shares
  12. cell — a phone
  13. chip — to eat
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. kid — to tease
  17. lie — to recline
  18. kid — child
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. wound — an injury
  21. tube — the underground
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. stock — goods
  24. deal — a big deal

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