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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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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: firm · present · chip · drill · lie · board · rest · game

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. chip — for betting
  3. present — there
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — a break
  6. firm — decided
  7. board — a committee
  8. present — a gift
  9. chip — to eat
  10. drill — a practice
  11. drill — the tool
  12. present — the time now
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. game — a match
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. lie — to recline
  18. firm — a company
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. rest — what's left
  21. board — to get on
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. firm — steady
  24. drill — army training

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