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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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468
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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. wound — an injury
  8. cell — a phone
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. rock — a stone
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. cell — in biology
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. rock — music
  17. dip — to sink
  18. lie — to recline
  19. chip — to eat
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bark — to shout
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. chip — for betting

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