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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. chip — for betting
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. spell — magic
  6. spell — a short time
  7. pit — in a race
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. squash — the sport
  14. squash — to crush
  15. snap — to click
  16. chip — to eat
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. pit — a hole
  20. lie — to recline
  21. file — a document
  22. spell — letters
  23. file — a tool
  24. file — a line of people

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