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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 120 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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. tear — from crying
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. lean — thin
  7. chip — for betting
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. ball — a great time
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. tear — from crying
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. tear — to rip
  15. chip — to eat
  16. pit — a hole
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. bark — to shout
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. ball — a dance
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. fine — high quality
  23. lean — to bend
  24. pit — in a race

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