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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. lean — thin
  3. mug — a face
  4. ball — a dance
  5. lie — to recline
  6. mug — to rob
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. mug — a cup
  9. drill — the tool
  10. drill — a practice
  11. spring — of water
  12. ball — a great time
  13. spring — the season
  14. chip — for betting
  15. pound — a weight
  16. chip — to eat
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. drill — army training
  19. spring — a coil
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. pound — to hit hard

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