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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.

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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: roll · object · wind · cabinet · can · lie · tear · chip

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. can — a tin
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. chip — for betting
  6. roll — a list
  7. object — an aim
  8. can — to be able to
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. roll — a cake
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tear — to rip
  15. wind — moving air
  16. tear — from crying
  17. object — to protest
  18. wind — moving air
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. object — a thing
  21. chip — to eat
  22. can — a tin
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. chip — in a computer

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