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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. chip — to eat
  3. content — happy
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. face — part of the head
  6. face — to confront
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. chip — for betting
  9. face — to point toward
  10. root — of a word
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bass — low music
  13. root — of a plant
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. root — the cause
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. fall — the season
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. content — the amount
  24. fall — to drop

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