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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. present — there
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. kid — child
  6. rule — a law
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. chip — for betting
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. kid — to tease
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. spring — of water
  16. spring — a coil
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. present — the time now
  19. present — a gift
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. lie — to recline
  22. rule — government
  23. chip — to eat
  24. spring — the season

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