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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. can — a tin
  3. chip — for betting
  4. bank — for money
  5. face — to point toward
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. file — a line of people
  8. chip — to eat
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. bank — of a river
  12. capital — a city
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — to be able to
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. face — to confront
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. file — a document
  19. file — a tool
  20. bank — for money
  21. face — part of the head
  22. rest — a break
  23. capital — money
  24. rest — what's left

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