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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. face — to confront
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. chip — for betting
  6. bound — tied together
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. bound — obliged
  9. swing — to play on
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. bound — certain
  12. fall — to drop
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. fall — to drop
  15. face — to point toward
  16. rock — music
  17. chip — to eat
  18. rock — a stone
  19. fall — the season
  20. face — part of the head
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. swing — music
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. swing — in golf

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