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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. tube — the underground
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. lie — to recline
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. chip — to eat
  14. chip — for betting
  15. tube — a container
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. pass — a permit
  24. chip — in a computer

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