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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: wave · chip · roll · dip · lie · rule · cue · mate

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. roll — a list
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. cue — for pool
  6. cue — a hint
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mate — to breed
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. chip — for betting
  12. rule — government
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. chip — to eat
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. rule — a law
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. roll — a cake
  22. dip — to sink
  23. cue — a signal
  24. lie — to recline

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