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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. sharp — clever
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. lie — to recline
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. roll — a list
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. saw — the tool
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. chip — for betting
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. mine — for digging
  22. roll — a cake
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. saw — the tool

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