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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. face — part of the head
  3. lean — to bend
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. face — to confront
  9. chip — for betting
  10. face — to point toward
  11. chip — to eat
  12. season — of the year
  13. season — in sport
  14. row — to paddle
  15. lean — thin
  16. rush — hurry
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. rush — to hurry

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