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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: craft · bay · club · lie · rule · hide · cold · chip

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. lie — to recline
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. rule — government
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. cold — not warm
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. chip — to eat
  18. rule — a law
  19. club — for dancing
  20. club — for golf
  21. cold — an illness
  22. club — a group
  23. craft — boats
  24. craft — a skill

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