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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. kid — to tease
  3. row — to paddle
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. current — happening now
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. row — a line
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. mark — a grade
  13. lie — to recline
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. current — of water
  16. current — electric
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. chip — to eat
  19. kid — child
  20. mark — a trace
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. chip — for betting
  23. foot — a measure
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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