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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: pass · stick · mine · lie · date · clip · chip · chair

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  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. mine — an explosive
  2. clip — for paper
  3. pass — a permit
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. date — the fruit
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. clip — to cut
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. clip — a video
  17. chip — for betting
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. mine — for digging
  20. lie — to recline
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. chip — to eat
  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