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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 120 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 need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. content — the amount
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — to eat
  8. lie — to recline
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. chest — a box
  13. chest — of your body
  14. bark — to shout
  15. mark — a trace
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. current — happening now
  18. chip — for betting
  19. mark — a grade
  20. chest — of your body
  21. current — electric
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. current — of water
  24. content — happy

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