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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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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: bear · lash · drill · chip · lie · cabinet · pitch · stick

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. drill — army training
  4. chip — for betting
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. drill — a practice
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. bear — the animal
  11. chip — to eat
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. bear — the animal
  19. drill — the tool
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. lie — to recline
  22. pitch — completely
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. bear — to put up with

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