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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. cold — an illness
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cold — not warm
  6. lie — to recline
  7. chip — for betting
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. ball — a great time
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. chip — to eat
  15. stock — shares
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. stock — goods
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. lean — thin
  23. lean — to bend
  24. sharp — clever

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