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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 120 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: chip · lie · lean · capital · drill · chest · bear · bass

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. drill — army training
  4. drill — a practice
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bear — the animal
  8. chip — for betting
  9. bear — the animal
  10. drill — the tool
  11. bass — low music
  12. chest — of your body
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. capital — money
  16. capital — a city
  17. lean — thin
  18. chest — a box
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. lie — to recline
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chip — to eat
  24. capital — a big letter

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