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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. cell — a phone
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. squash — the sport
  8. wind — moving air
  9. suit — clothes
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. scale — in music
  12. rule — government
  13. scale — size or range
  14. suit — in cards
  15. rule — a law
  16. suit — to fit
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. wind — moving air
  19. lie — to recline
  20. chip — for betting
  21. cell — in biology
  22. chip — to eat
  23. squash — to crush
  24. squash — the vegetable

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