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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: chip · squash · bear · foot · date · clip · game · lie

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. game — a match
  3. lie — to recline
  4. clip — to cut
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. game — wild animals
  7. foot — a measure
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. clip — for paper
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. chip — for betting
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. clip — a video
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. squash — to crush
  19. date — the fruit
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. chip — to eat
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. squash — the sport

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