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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. current — happening now
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. wake — a trail
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. chip — for betting
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. rest — a break
  11. current — electric
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. lie — to recline
  14. pound — a weight
  15. mark — a grade
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. mark — a trace
  18. rest — what's left
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. chip — to eat
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. current — of water
  24. rest — what's left

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