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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. mark — a trace
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. land — a country
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. hand — help
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. land — to come down
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. mark — a grade
  13. bear — the animal
  14. hand — in cards
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. lie — to recline
  17. rush — hurry
  18. chip — for betting
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. squash — the sport
  22. chip — to eat
  23. land — ground
  24. squash — to crush

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