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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: bat · lie · clip · bay · chip · dip · jam · bowl

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bat — the animal
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. dip — to sink
  10. clip — for paper
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. chip — for betting
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. chip — to eat
  21. clip — a video
  22. clip — to cut
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bay — a horse colour

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