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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. fall — the season
  3. last — final
  4. lean — thin
  5. rest — what's left
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. lean — to bend
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. last — to go on
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. rule — a law
  13. rule — government
  14. fall — to drop
  15. last — finally
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. rest — a break
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. rest — what's left
  20. lie — to recline
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. fall — to drop
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. chip — to eat

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