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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — to recline
  5. mine — for digging
  6. squash — to crush
  7. chip — to eat
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. squash — the sport
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. plane — a tool
  13. last — to go on
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. staff — a stick
  17. last — finally
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. staff — employees
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. last — final
  22. staff — employees
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. plane — an aircraft

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