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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. chip — for betting
  3. bear — the animal
  4. mine — for digging
  5. chip — to eat
  6. pop — music
  7. pop — to visit
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. march — the month
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. face — part of the head
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. march — music
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. bear — the animal
  21. face — to point toward
  22. march — the month
  23. plane — a tool
  24. pop — soda

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