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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: wind · chip · scale · cue · object · foot · lie · craft

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. craft — boats
  3. wind — moving air
  4. craft — a skill
  5. wind — moving air
  6. object — to protest
  7. scale — in music
  8. chip — to eat
  9. object — a thing
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. object — an aim
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. cue — for pool
  18. chip — for betting
  19. foot — a measure
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. cue — a hint
  22. scale — size or range
  23. cue — a signal
  24. wind — to turn a key

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