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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 116 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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. wake — a trail
  3. object — a thing
  4. chip — to eat
  5. cap — a lid
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. chip — for betting
  8. pitch — completely
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. bound — tied together
  12. cap — a hat
  13. bound — obliged
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. object — an aim
  17. bound — certain
  18. lie — to recline
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. band — a ring
  21. cap — of ice
  22. band — a music group
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. band — a rubber band

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