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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. chip — to eat
  3. chip — for betting
  4. wound — an injury
  5. tear — to rip
  6. tear — from crying
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. ball — a dance
  9. object — a thing
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. tear — from crying
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. band — a ring
  14. band — a music group
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. wound — an injury
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. object — to protest
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. ball — a great time
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. object — an aim

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