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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: mine · chip · date · rock · chair · band · lie · rest

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. rest — what's left
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. chip — for betting
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. rock — music
  8. band — a music group
  9. chip — to eat
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. rest — what's left
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. rock — a stone
  17. mine — for digging
  18. lie — to recline
  19. rest — a break
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. date — the fruit
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. band — a ring
  24. chair — a leader

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