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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. cell — in biology
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. pass — a permit
  6. chip — to eat
  7. game — wild animals
  8. firm — a company
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. face — part of the head
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. face — to point toward
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. firm — steady
  15. vault — a safe
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. chip — for betting
  18. firm — decided
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. game — a match
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. face — to confront

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