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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. cap — of ice
  3. face — to point toward
  4. firm — steady
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. firm — decided
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. plane — a tool
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. face — part of the head
  12. key — for a lock
  13. tube — the underground
  14. cap — a hat
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. key — in music
  17. chip — to eat
  18. rash — a series
  19. tube — a container
  20. rash — hasty
  21. key — the most important part
  22. chip — for betting
  23. face — to confront
  24. cap — a lid

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