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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. chip — to eat
  3. present — the time now
  4. cell — in biology
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. present — a gift
  7. lie — to recline
  8. chip — for betting
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. cell — a phone
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ground — a position
  13. ground — crushed
  14. drill — a practice
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. present — there
  18. deal — to handle
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. drill — the tool
  24. drill — army training

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