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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. chest — of your body
  3. object — an aim
  4. chip — to eat
  5. mate — a partner
  6. ground — the earth
  7. can — to be able to
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — to recline
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mate — a friend
  12. object — to protest
  13. ground — a position
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — a tin
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. chip — for betting
  20. object — a thing
  21. board — a committee
  22. chest — a box
  23. chest — of your body
  24. board — to get on

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