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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: foot · chip · firm · lie · ball · spell · staff · kid

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. firm — a company
  3. spell — letters
  4. firm — decided
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. staff — a stick
  10. spell — a short time
  11. staff — employees
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. firm — steady
  14. ball — a great time
  15. kid — child
  16. chip — for betting
  17. kid — to tease
  18. spell — magic
  19. foot — a measure
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. staff — employees
  22. chip — to eat
  23. lie — to recline
  24. ball — a dance

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