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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. current — of water
  3. board — a committee
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fine — all right
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. cell — a phone
  9. face — part of the head
  10. current — happening now
  11. chip — to eat
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. current — electric
  14. clip — for paper
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. face — to point toward
  18. clip — to cut
  19. clip — a video
  20. board — to get on
  21. face — to confront
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. chip — for betting

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