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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. mug — to rob
  4. wind — moving air
  5. cue — a hint
  6. mug — a cup
  7. chip — for betting
  8. date — the fruit
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. track — a song
  13. chip — to eat
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. cue — for pool
  16. mug — a face
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. cue — a signal
  19. lie — to recline
  20. track — a path
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. fork — in a road
  24. track — to keep track

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