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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. lie — to recline
  3. chip — to eat
  4. shower — to wash
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. chip — for betting
  7. key — in music
  8. tube — a container
  9. fine — high quality
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — for a lock
  14. shower — rain
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. fine — all right
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. tube — the underground
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. chip — in a computer

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