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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: chip · present · lie · mine · fall · sharp · band · pit

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. present — the time now
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. band — a ring
  5. present — a gift
  6. pit — a hole
  7. pit — in a race
  8. fall — to drop
  9. chip — for betting
  10. fall — the season
  11. mine — for digging
  12. sharp — clever
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. lie — to recline
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. fall — to drop
  18. present — there
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. band — a music group
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. lie — an untruth

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