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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. lean — thin
  4. kid — to tease
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. pop — music
  8. pop — to visit
  9. lie — to recline
  10. suit — clothes
  11. kid — child
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. cold — an illness
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. chip — for betting
  17. rock — a stone
  18. cold — not warm
  19. suit — in cards
  20. pop — soda
  21. lean — to bend
  22. chip — to eat
  23. suit — to fit
  24. lie — an untruth

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