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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: wake · chip · clip · season · rock · saw · march · lie

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. saw — the tool
  3. chip — for betting
  4. wake — a trail
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. march — the month
  7. march — music
  8. saw — the tool
  9. rock — music
  10. chip — to eat
  11. season — in sport
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. clip — for paper
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. march — the month
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. season — of the year
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. lie — to recline
  22. clip — to cut
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. clip — a video

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