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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. chip — for betting
  5. cap — a hat
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. lie — to recline
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ball — a great time
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. game — a match
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. ball — a dance
  16. toast — bread
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. pass — a permit
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cap — a lid
  23. chip — to eat
  24. game — wild animals

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