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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — to recline
  3. net — in sport
  4. drill — a practice
  5. chip — for betting
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. rest — a break
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. rest — what's left
  13. drill — army training
  14. net — for catching
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bark — to shout
  18. track — a path
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. track — to keep track
  21. net — after costs
  22. drill — the tool
  23. chip — to eat
  24. track — a song

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