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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 124 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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. hand — in cards
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. firm — steady
  5. ground — a position
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. chip — for betting
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — from crying
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. firm — decided
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. ground — the earth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. hand — help
  20. chip — to eat
  21. ground — crushed
  22. tear — to rip
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. lie — to recline

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