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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. face — to confront
  3. chip — for betting
  4. fine — all right
  5. file — a document
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. mug — a face
  8. mug — to rob
  9. file — a line of people
  10. mug — a cup
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. stock — shares
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. stock — goods
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. rash — a series
  20. fine — high quality
  21. chip — to eat
  22. face — to point toward
  23. face — part of the head
  24. snap — to click

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