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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. chip — to eat
  3. bank — of a river
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. rest — a break
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bank — for money
  8. face — to point toward
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. chip — for betting
  11. game — a match
  12. bank — for money
  13. saw — the tool
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. rest — what's left
  16. face — part of the head
  17. face — to confront
  18. game — wild animals

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