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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. face — to confront
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. tear — from crying
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. face — part of the head
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. dip — to sink
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. tear — from crying
  15. plane — a tool
  16. roll — a list
  17. roll — a cake
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. face — to point toward
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. chip — to eat
  23. tear — to rip
  24. straw — dry grass

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