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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: pitcher · board · lash · lie · chip · bear · tear · pass

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. pass — a permit
  4. tear — from crying
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lie — to recline
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — to rip
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bear — the animal
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. board — a committee
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bear — the animal
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. board — to get on
  23. chip — for betting
  24. chip — to eat

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