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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. bat — the animal
  3. tube — a container
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. last — to go on
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. tube — the underground
  8. spring — of water
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. chip — to eat
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. chip — for betting
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. spring — a coil
  17. lie — to recline
  18. spring — the season
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. last — final
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. last — finally

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