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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 124 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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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. season — to add flavour
  4. face — to point toward
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pit — a hole
  7. track — a path
  8. chip — for betting
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. hand — help
  12. foot — a measure
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. track — a song
  15. season — in sport
  16. hand — in cards
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. face — part of the head
  19. season — of the year
  20. chip — to eat
  21. pit — in a race
  22. track — to keep track
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. lash — to lash out

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