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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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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  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. lie — to recline
  2. can — a tin
  3. chip — to eat
  4. bore — to drill
  5. cap — a hat
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. present — a gift
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. cap — a lid
  12. can — to be able to
  13. present — the time now
  14. rule — government
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. present — there
  17. cap — of ice
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. rule — a law
  20. squash — to crush
  21. squash — the sport
  22. can — a tin
  23. rule — to rule out
  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