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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: stand · hand · lie · chip · bass · wound · cue · snap

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. bass — the fish
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bass — low music
  9. chip — to eat
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. chip — for betting
  12. hand — help
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. wound — an injury
  15. cue — a signal
  16. cue — for pool
  17. wound — an injury
  18. stand — to bear
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. hand — in cards
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. lie — to recline
  24. snap — to click

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