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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: pit · lie · straw · chip · roll · wave · branch · stand

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. lie — to recline
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. pit — in a race
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. branch — a division
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. roll — a list
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. chip — for betting
  17. roll — a cake
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. chip — to eat
  22. pit — a hole
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. stand — on your feet

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