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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. chip — to eat
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. track — to keep track
  5. root — the cause
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. chip — for betting
  10. plane — a tool
  11. suit — clothes
  12. face — part of the head
  13. suit — in cards
  14. track — a path
  15. track — a song
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. root — of a word
  18. face — to point toward
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. root — of a plant
  21. suit — to fit
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. plane — in geometry

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