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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. chip — to eat
  3. suit — in cards
  4. squash — the sport
  5. march — the month
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. march — music
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. suit — clothes
  12. squash — to crush
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. dip — to sink
  18. march — the month
  19. suit — to fit
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. chip — for betting
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. lie — to recline
  24. bass — the fish

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