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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. chip — to eat
  3. pop — music
  4. craft — boats
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. shower — to wash
  9. pop — soda
  10. craft — a skill
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. chair — a leader
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. chip — for betting
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. pitch — completely
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. shower — rain
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. pop — to visit
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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