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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. face — part of the head
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. chip — for betting
  5. dip — to sink
  6. current — of water
  7. clip — for paper
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. current — electric
  10. clip — a video
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. clip — to cut
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. chip — to eat
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. current — happening now
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. face — to point toward
  24. jam — a tight spot

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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