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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: saw · lie · wind · chip · march · lash · fall · arm

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. march — the month
  3. chip — for betting
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. wind — moving air
  6. march — the month
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. saw — the tool
  9. lie — to recline
  10. fall — to drop
  11. wind — moving air
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. chip — to eat
  15. march — music
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. fall — to drop
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. fall — the season
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. wind — to turn a key

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