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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: lie · pass · straw · chip · board · rule · clip · cell

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. chip — to eat
  4. board — to get on
  5. board — a committee
  6. pass — a permit
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. cell — a phone
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. clip — a video
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. rule — government
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. clip — for paper
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. lie — to recline
  20. rule — a law
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. clip — to cut
  23. chip — for betting
  24. straw — a straw man

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