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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: chip · rash · lie · jam · cap · sharp · stick · bear

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. cap — a lid
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. lie — to recline
  9. cap — of ice
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. rash — a series
  13. chip — to eat
  14. sharp — clever
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. rash — hasty
  20. chip — for betting
  21. bear — the animal
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. cap — a hat
  24. bear — the animal

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