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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: pass · lie · chip · lash · deal · ball · squash · clip

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  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. squash — the sport
  2. lie — to recline
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. ball — a dance
  5. clip — for paper
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. pass — a permit
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. squash — to crush
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. ball — a great time
  13. clip — to cut
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. deal — to handle
  17. chip — to eat
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. chip — for betting
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. clip — a video
  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