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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. snap — to click
  3. track — a path
  4. firm — decided
  5. prune — to trim
  6. tear — to rip
  7. track — to keep track
  8. firm — a company
  9. tear — from crying
  10. chip — for betting
  11. face — to point toward
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. face — part of the head
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. tear — from crying
  17. track — a song
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. firm — steady
  22. prune — to trim
  23. face — to confront
  24. bowl — to roll

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