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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: hand · chip · lie · mark · fall · straw · rash · bowl

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. fall — the season
  4. chip — for betting
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. hand — help
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. rash — a series
  10. fall — to drop
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. chip — to eat
  15. lie — to recline
  16. rash — hasty
  17. fall — to drop
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. mark — a trace
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. mark — a grade
  24. straw — dry grass

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