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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. lie — to recline
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. chip — for betting
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. chip — to eat
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. content — the amount
  10. shower — rain
  11. content — happy
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. pound — a weight
  19. bound — obliged
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. bound — certain
  22. bound — tied together
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. shower — to wash

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