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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. chip — for betting
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. season — of the year
  9. season — in sport
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. chip — to eat
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. lie — to recline
  19. game — a match
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. rule — a law
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. game — wild animals
  24. rule — government

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