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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: chip · stick · mug · tear · object · hand · temple · kick

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. mug — a cup
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. object — to protest
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. chip — for betting
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. kick — in football
  10. tear — to rip
  11. object — an aim
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. mug — a face
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. hand — in cards
  18. tear — from crying
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. tear — from crying
  21. chip — to eat
  22. hand — help
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. mug — to rob

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