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

Word bank: row · lie · cap · mine · deal · bear · chip · mouse

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bear — the animal
  5. cap — of ice
  6. mine — for digging
  7. cap — a hat
  8. bear — the animal
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. deal — to handle
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. chip — for betting
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. cap — a lid
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. row — a line
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. row — to paddle
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. lie — to recline

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