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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: wound · chip · hide · key · pit · jam · lie · game

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. pit — in a race
  3. chip — to eat
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pit — a hole
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. key — the most important part
  9. game — a match
  10. lie — to recline
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. chip — for betting
  13. wound — an injury
  14. key — for a lock
  15. wound — an injury
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. key — in music
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. game — wild animals
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. game — a kind of play

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