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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. track — a song
  3. face — to point toward
  4. track — to keep track
  5. face — part of the head
  6. prune — to trim
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. prune — to trim
  11. wind — moving air
  12. track — a path
  13. face — to confront
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. wind — moving air
  16. chip — for betting
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. can — to be able to
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. file — a document
  21. file — a tool
  22. file — a line of people
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. can — a tin

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