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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 116 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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. rush — hurry
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. squash — the sport
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. pop — soda
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. stock — shares
  9. chip — for betting
  10. wound — an injury
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stock — goods
  13. squash — to crush
  14. pop — music
  15. lie — to recline
  16. wound — an injury
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. squash — the vegetable

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