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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: chair · cap · tube · deal · lie · leaves · chip · calf

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. cap — of ice
  7. chip — for betting
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. cap — a lid
  10. tube — the underground
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. tube — a container
  14. cap — a hat
  15. chair — a leader
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. lie — to recline
  23. deal — to handle
  24. leaves — to go away

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