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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — to recline
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. chip — for betting
  6. file — a document
  7. file — a line of people
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. mug — to rob
  12. shower — to wash
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. present — a gift
  15. file — a tool
  16. game — wild animals
  17. shower — rain
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. game — a match
  20. mug — a face
  21. chip — to eat
  22. mug — a cup
  23. present — the time now
  24. present — there

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