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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: lie · tear · lean · rock · snap · hand · chip · bowl

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. hand — in cards
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. hand — help
  7. lean — to bend
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. chip — for betting
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. rock — a stone
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. snap — to click
  16. tear — from crying
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. lean — thin
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. tear — to rip
  21. rock — music
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. lie — to recline
  24. chip — to eat

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