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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. club — for golf
  5. lie — to recline
  6. club — for dancing
  7. object — an aim
  8. chip — for betting
  9. shower — to wash
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. sharp — clever
  12. field — for sport
  13. object — a thing
  14. object — to protest
  15. shower — rain
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. field — farmland
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. wake — a trail
  20. chip — to eat
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. club — a group
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. lie — an untruth

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