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

Word bank: mouse · chip · key · lie · squash · fall · stick · race

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. squash — the sport
  3. fall — the season
  4. fall — to drop
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. chip — to eat
  8. key — for a lock
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. fall — to drop
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. squash — to crush
  14. race — a contest
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — to recline
  17. race — humankind
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. key — the most important part
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. race — the arms race
  22. chip — for betting
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. key — in music

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