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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. lie — to recline
  5. spell — letters
  6. current — electric
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. chip — to eat
  12. spell — a short time
  13. current — happening now
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. current — of water
  17. spell — magic
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. stem — to come from
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. squash — to crush
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. squash — the sport
  24. bark — to shout

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