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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — to recline
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. rule — government
  6. chip — for betting
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. chest — of your body
  13. chest — a box
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. row — a line
  17. chip — to eat
  18. current — electric
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. chest — of your body
  21. rule — a law
  22. current — of water
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. current — happening now

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