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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 120 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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. land — ground
  4. lie — to recline
  5. ball — a great time
  6. charge — electricity
  7. charge — a price
  8. charge — in control
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. foot — a measure
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. chip — for betting
  14. scale — in music
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. branch — a division
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. land — to come down
  19. chip — to eat
  20. scale — size or range
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. ball — a dance
  24. land — a country

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