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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. face — to confront
  3. bear — the animal
  4. face — to point toward
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. chip — to eat
  7. bear — the animal
  8. perch — the fish
  9. chip — for betting
  10. snap — to click
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — the season
  13. face — part of the head
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. fall — to drop

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