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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 116 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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. cap — of ice
  4. ball — a dance
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. last — finally
  7. ball — a great time
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — to recline
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. last — to go on
  14. spell — magic
  15. cap — a lid
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. last — final
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. deal — to handle
  20. chip — for betting
  21. spell — letters
  22. spell — a short time
  23. cap — a hat
  24. mine — for digging

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