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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: sharp · chip · stand · rule · lie · ball · wave · clip

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. chip — to eat
  6. clip — to cut
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. sharp — clever
  9. lie — to recline
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. clip — for paper
  15. ball — a great time
  16. stand — to bear
  17. chip — for betting
  18. ball — a dance
  19. rule — a law
  20. rule — government
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. clip — a video

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