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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: squash · chip · fall · calf · lie · deal · stock · chair

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. deal — to handle
  4. squash — the sport
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. lie — to recline
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. chip — to eat
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. fall — the season
  13. chip — for betting
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. fall — to drop
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. fall — to drop
  19. stock — goods
  20. chair — a leader
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. squash — to crush
  24. stock — shares

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