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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. chest — a box
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. pass — a permit
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. kick — in football
  13. chip — for betting
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chest — of your body
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. bass — the fish
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. lie — to recline
  24. bass — low music

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