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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 · mine · lie · stick · trunk · march · lash · fine

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. chip — to eat
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mine — for digging
  10. march — the month
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fine — all right
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. march — music
  17. chip — for betting
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. lie — to recline
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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