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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 120 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: chip · lie · tube · kick · bowl · squash · stick · rule

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  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. kick — in football
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. tube — a container
  11. chip — to eat
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. rule — a law
  15. squash — the sport
  16. lie — to recline
  17. rule — government
  18. chip — for betting
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. tube — the underground
  21. squash — to crush
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. rule — to rule out
  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