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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. pop — soda
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. sharp — clever
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. lie — to recline
  7. pop — music
  8. chip — to eat
  9. scale — in music
  10. wake — a trail
  11. face — to point toward
  12. chip — for betting
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. pop — to visit
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. face — to confront
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. scale — size or range
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. face — part of the head
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. sharp — with an edge

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