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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. chip — to eat
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. lie — to recline
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bat — the animal
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. face — part of the head
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bass — low music
  18. face — to point toward
  19. face — to confront
  20. bass — the fish
  21. chip — for betting
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. lie — an untruth

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