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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: lie · cell · wax · chip · mark · pit · bank · rest

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. chip — for betting
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. bank — of a river
  5. cell — a phone
  6. rest — what's left
  7. lie — to recline
  8. pit — a hole
  9. bank — for money
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. chip — to eat
  12. mark — a trace
  13. rest — what's left
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. wax — to grow
  16. cell — in biology
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. pit — in a race
  20. mark — a grade
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. rest — a break
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. bank — for money

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