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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: straw · lie · chip · pitch · wake · suit · wind · stick

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. chip — for betting
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. lie — to recline
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. suit — to fit
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. wind — moving air
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. suit — clothes
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. wake — a trail
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. wind — moving air
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. chip — to eat
  24. wake — before a funeral

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