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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 116 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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mark — a grade
  3. face — to confront
  4. tube — a container
  5. chip — to eat
  6. key — for a lock
  7. rush — hurry
  8. squash — to crush
  9. bear — the animal
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. face — to point toward
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. bear — the animal
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. squash — the sport
  18. key — the most important part
  19. tube — the underground
  20. chip — for betting
  21. mark — a trace
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. key — in music
  24. face — part of the head

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