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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 · stick · straw · bay · bear · tube · wake · chip

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. bear — the animal
  4. tube — a container
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. lie — to recline
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. chip — to eat
  10. tube — the underground
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. chip — for betting
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. wake — a trail
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. bear — the animal
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. lie — an untruth

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