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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 116 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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. band — a music group
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. shower — to wash
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. can — a tin
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. can — to be able to
  12. chip — to eat
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. lie — to recline
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. can — a tin
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. band — a ring
  20. bat — the animal
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. shower — rain
  24. deal — to handle

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