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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: wake · snap · bay · lie · chip · scale · band · pit

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. scale — in music
  4. band — a music group
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. wake — a trail
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. chip — for betting
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. pit — in a race
  17. scale — size or range
  18. chip — to eat
  19. lie — to recline
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. band — a ring
  24. snap — to click

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