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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. mark — a grade
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. mark — a trace
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. bass — the fish
  7. chip — for betting
  8. fine — high quality
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. chip — to eat
  11. kick — in football
  12. chest — of your body
  13. bass — low music
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. face — to confront
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. face — to point toward
  21. chest — of your body
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. chest — a box

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