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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. face — to confront
  3. chip — for betting
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. lean — thin
  7. chip — to eat
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. face — to point toward
  10. suit — in cards
  11. suit — to fit
  12. pit — in a race
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. face — part of the head
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. suit — clothes
  17. pit — a hole
  18. snap — to click

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