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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. chip — for betting
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. pass — a permit
  9. chair — a leader
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. chip — to eat
  13. mine — for digging
  14. wound — an injury
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. branch — a division
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. lie — to recline
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. wound — an injury

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