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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. lie — to recline
  3. row — a line
  4. hand — help
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. race — a contest
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. band — a ring
  10. chip — for betting
  11. suit — in cards
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. suit — to fit
  14. chip — to eat
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. race — the arms race
  17. band — a music group
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. row — to paddle
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. suit — clothes
  22. dip — to sink
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. race — humankind

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