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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: lie · cold · ruler · wake · bay · can · chip · date

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  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. date — the fruit
  2. can — a tin
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. can — to be able to
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. can — a tin
  12. cold — not warm
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. lie — to recline
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. chip — for betting
  18. cold — an illness
  19. wake — a trail
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. chip — to eat
  23. lie — an untruth
  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