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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 120 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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. stand — to bear
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. pound — a weight
  5. face — to confront
  6. chip — for betting
  7. stock — shares
  8. face — to point toward
  9. lean — thin
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. chip — to eat
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. stock — goods
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. wake — a trail
  17. chest — a box
  18. chest — of your body
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. chest — of your body
  22. face — part of the head
  23. lean — to bend
  24. lean — to rest against

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