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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bound — tied together
  4. chip — to eat
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. rest — what's left
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. chip — for betting
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. lie — to recline
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. rest — a break
  13. spring — of water
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pit — a hole
  19. spring — a coil
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bound — certain
  24. spring — the season

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