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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. chip — to eat
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lean — to bend
  7. cap — a lid
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. roll — a cake
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. roll — a list
  13. bear — the animal
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. cap — a hat
  16. lean — thin
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. bear — the animal
  20. chip — for betting
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. cap — of ice

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