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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. face — to confront
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. face — part of the head
  8. firm — a company
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. face — to point toward
  13. firm — steady
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. chair — a leader
  16. kick — in football
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. chip — to eat
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. dip — to sink
  24. firm — decided

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