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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. face — to point toward
  4. chip — for betting
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. face — part of the head
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. branch — a division
  9. wake — a trail
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. squash — the sport
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. suit — clothes
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. face — to confront
  16. squash — to crush
  17. suit — in cards
  18. spell — a short time
  19. spell — letters
  20. chip — to eat
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. suit — to fit
  24. spell — magic

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