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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 124 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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. mug — to rob
  3. chip — to eat
  4. face — to confront
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. root — of a word
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. fall — to drop
  9. season — in sport
  10. fall — the season
  11. face — part of the head
  12. root — the cause
  13. club — for dancing
  14. chip — for betting
  15. mug — a cup
  16. club — for golf
  17. club — a group
  18. fall — to drop
  19. mug — a face
  20. season — of the year
  21. root — of a plant
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. face — to point toward
  24. chip — in a computer

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