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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. chip — for betting
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. tear — from crying
  5. cell — in biology
  6. plane — a tool
  7. cell — a phone
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. bound — obliged
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. stem — to come from
  14. tear — to rip
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. chip — to eat
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bound — tied together
  23. lie — to recline
  24. bound — certain

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