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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cap — of ice
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. cell — in biology
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. rule — government
  9. chip — to eat
  10. cell — a phone
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. face — part of the head
  13. face — to confront
  14. cap — a lid
  15. rule — a law
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. face — to point toward
  21. chip — for betting
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. sharp — clever
  24. fan — a supporter

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