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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: wake · bulb · present · stick · content · mine · lie · chip

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  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. chip — for betting
  2. content — happy
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. content — the amount
  5. bulb — for light
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. chip — to eat
  9. mine — for digging
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. wake — a trail
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bulb — for light
  17. present — a gift
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. lie — to recline
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. present — there
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. present — the time now
  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