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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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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: chip · court · tear · cell · last · board · lie · lean

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. tear — to rip
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. last — to go on
  5. cell — a phone
  6. court — of a king
  7. cell — in biology
  8. court — of law
  9. chip — to eat
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. lean — thin
  13. last — finally
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. tear — from crying
  17. last — final
  18. board — a committee
  19. tear — from crying
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. board — to get on
  23. court — for sport
  24. lean — to bend

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