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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 120 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: arm · chair · lie · chip · calf · court · wind · pass

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. chip — for betting
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. court — of a king
  5. court — for sport
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. pass — a permit
  9. wind — moving air
  10. court — of law
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. lie — to recline
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. chip — to eat
  16. wind — moving air
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. chair — a leader
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. lie — an untruth

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