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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. lie — to recline
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. object — a thing
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. chip — for betting
  7. wake — a trail
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. face — part of the head
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. saw — the tool
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. scale — in music
  15. face — to confront
  16. object — an aim
  17. face — to point toward
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. saw — the tool
  20. chip — to eat
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. scale — size or range
  24. hide — animal skin

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